\ 


\  / 


/ 


I 
THE  STORY 


OF    THE 


FIFTY-FIFTH  REGIMENT 


ILLINOIS  VOLUNTEER  INFANTRY 


IN    THE 


CIVIL  WAR 


1861-186? 


BY  A  COMMITTEE  OF  THE  REGIMENT 


l887 


E5os 

-5 

•^ 


Printed  by  W.  J.   Coulter, 
Clinton,   Mass. 


TO 
THE    MEMORY 

OF 

OUR   DEAD    COMRADES 

OF    THE 

FIFTY-FIFTH 

THESE    RECORDS    OF    PATRIOTIC    SERVICE 

IN    CAMP,    BATTLE,    MARCH    AND    SIEGE, 

ARE 

REVERENTLY   DEDICATED. 


M196305 


PREFACE. 


THE  following  unambitious  pages  have  been  written  at 
the  solicitation  and  for  the  gratification  of  a  little  brother 
hood  of  war-scorched  and  time-harried  survivors  of  one  of 
the  regiments  constituting  General  William  Tecumseh  Sher 
man's  first  Western  brigade;  a  regiment  that  followed  him 
from  the  drill-ground  of  1861  at  St.  Louis,  to  the  triumphal 
review  at  Washington  in  1865;  that  earned  by  sacrifice  rarely 
equalled  the  right  to  inscribe  upon  its  banner  the  names  of 
nearly  all  the  famous  battle-fields  whereon  Sherman  had  any 
command,  from  Shiloh  to  Bentonville;  that  left  graves  of  its 
battle-martyrs  in  the  soil  of  eight  rebellious  commonwealths; 
that  during  the  four  years  of  its  service  travelled  nearly 
twelve  thousand  miles,  campaigning  in  every  state  south  of 
Mason  and  Dixon's  line,  save  three  at  the  extreme  corners  of 
the  Confederacy — Delaware,  Florida  and  Texas. 

The  three  comrades  detailed  to  share  the  composition  of 
this  volume  are  severally  responsible  for  the  opinions  ad 
vanced  in,  and  the  fashion  of,  their  own  portions  only  of  the 
narrative,  and  to  each  individually  belongs  the  praise  or 
blame  due  to  his  special  contribution.  Their  labors  have 
been  entirely  gratuitous.  Their  facts  have  been  gleaned 
from  every  available  source,  but  chiefly  from  careful  collation 
of  numerous  army  letters  and  diaries  of  soldiers.  An  ex 
haustive  research  among  the  war  documents  in  the  office  of 
the  Adjutant-General  of  Illinois  has  been  made  by  Captain 


PREFACE. 

L.  B.  Crooker,  and  literal  copies  of  those  most  material  to 
the  regimental  story  have  been  obtained.  A  complete  file  of 
the  Chicago  Tribune  has  also  been  examined.  Both  earliest 
dispatches  and  latest  official  reports  have  been  diligently 
studied, —  but  not  blindly  followed,  for  those  who  have  helped 
make  the  history  of  which  they  write,  rarely  acknowledge 
newspaper  correspondents,  or  even  generals,  to  be  infallible. 

The  authors  have  penned  these  records  conscientiously, 
with  an  enthusiastic  pride  in  the  achievements  and  fame  of 
their  regiment;  but  they  have  not,  like  most  regimental  his 
torians,  entirely  ignored  the  fact  that  in  army  life  antago 
nisms  rankled  and  human  passions  raged,  even  when  not 
aroused  by  the  frantic  charge  or  in  the  fume  of  desperate 
strife.  Some  will  doubtless  deprecate  this  unreserve  —  per 
haps  censure  the  frank  characterization  of  certain  officials. 
But,  standing  off  at  the  cool  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  cen 
tury  from  the  heat  of  conflict,  it  should  be  safe  to  abate 
somewhat  of  the  usual  indiscriminate  and  turgid  eulogy  of 
those  in  high  position  for  the  sake  of  faithful  verity,  as  well 
as  to  pay  simple  justice  to  the  patriotic  rank  and  file.  At 
least,  it  seems  axiomatic  to  the  writers  of  this  volume  that 
the  revealing  of  truth  and  not  its  suppression  is  the  proper 
purpose  of  history;  and  that  no  one,  yielding  to  a  timorous 
sentimentality,  should  dare,  by  glossing  the  short-comings  of 
those  who  were  by  chance  clothed  in  a  little  brief  authority, 
to  dim  however  slightly  the  bright  meed  of  the  unstarred 
majority.  If  at  certain  epochs  the  men  of  the  Fifty-fifth 
Illinois  Infantry  were  discontent  under  grave  maladministra 
tion  of  their  affairs,  or  dispirited  by  a  sense  of  wrong  done 
them,  and  yet  did  well  their  whole  duty  under  all  trials,  they 
might  justly  and  sternly  blame  the  records  that  should  fail  to 
give  them  full  credit  for  so  rare  merit. 

The  first  four  chapters,  including  the  period  from  regi 
mental  organization  in  October,  1861,  to  the  victory  at 
Arkansas  Post  in  January,  1863,  were  written  by  Captain 
Lucien  B.  Crooker  of  Mendota,  Illinois.  Chapters  five  to 
nine  inclusive,  beginning  with  the  Vicksburg  campaign  and 
closing  with  the  return  to  Atlanta  of  Sherman's  army  after 
the  pursuit  of  Hood  in  November,  1864,  were  contributed 


PREFACE.  7 

by  Captain  Henry  S.  Nourse  of  Lancaster,  Massachusetts. 
Chapters  ten,  eleven,  twelve  and  thirteen,  telling  the  story  of 
the  march  to  Savannah  and  through  the  Carolinas,  and  of  the 
subsequent  service  of  the  regiment  until  its  muster  out  in 
August,  1865,  are  by  Sergeant-Major  John  G.  Brown  of  Mar- 
shalltown,  Iowa.  The  closing  chapter,  by  Chaplain  Milton 
L.  Haney,  was  written  at  the  unanimous  request  of  the  vet 
erans  assembled  in  reunion  at  Moline,  Illinois,  November  n, 
1886.  The  roster  has  been  prepared  by  various  hands  under 
the  advice  of  Adjutant  Francis  P.  Fisher. 

The  Committee  of  Publication,  appointed  at  the  first  re 
union  of  the  survivors  of  the  regiment,  held  at  Canton,  111., 
October  31,  1884,  were  Captains  Lucien  B.  Crooker  and  John 
T.  McAuley,  and  Adjutant  Francis  P.  Fisher.  Captain  Henry 
Augustine  has  been  treasurer  of  the  History  Fund,  and  Lieu 
tenant  Joseph  Hartsook,  secretary  of  the  regimental  Associa 
tion.  Both  have  rendered  faithful  service.  The  generous 
contributions  of  certain  comrades  toward  the  cost  of  publi 
cation  would  seem  to  deserve  especial  mention,  but  the  diffi 
culty  of  justly  apportioning  such  credit  is  happily  obviated 
by  their  modesty,  which  shrinks  from  any  publicity. 

To  J.  W.  Vance,  Adjutant-General  of  Illinois,  thanks  are 
due  for  uniform  courtesy  and  valuable  assistance. 

OCTOBER,  1887. 


NOTE  OF  ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 


Several  comrades  have,  by  their  diaries,  war  correspondence  or  rem 
iniscences,  furnished  valuable  material  for  the  following  pages;  while 
many  others  have  by  letter  supplied  items  of  interest  from  their  recollec 
tions.  To  the  following,  the  Committee  of  Publication,  desire  to  make  due 
acknowledgment  for  aid  thus  rendered:  Joseph  Hartsook,  John  B. 
Ridenour,  Curtis  P.  Lacey,  John  Averill,  Peter  Roberts,  A.  B.  Wetzel, 
Francis  H.  Shaw,  Henry  Augustine,  Jacob  Fink,  Milton  L.  Haney,  Robert 
M.  Cox,  Robert  Oliver,  John  W.  Edwards,  Horace  T.  Healey,  James  W. 
Gay,  Robert  Dixon,  John  H.  Fisher,  A.  A.  Williams,  Timothy  Slattery, 
Thomas  P.  Latimer,  Calvin  A.  Songster,  John  Sheneman,  John  Warden, 
Orion  P.  Howe,  J.  H.  Myers,  C.  R.  Fluke,  W.  H.  Lowe,  C.  C.  Davis,  H. 
H.  Kendrick,  Peter  Leibundguth,  Ezra  Witter,  Richard  Taylor,  E.  J. 
Porter,  C.  M.  Browne,  Fred  Ebersold,  N.  S.  Aagesen,  J.  C.  Garner,  Charles 
B.  Wood,  H.  H.  Joslin,  H.  M.  Haney,  G.  W.  Curfman,  Robert  A.  Lower, 
Albert  F.  Paden,  Charles  L.  West,  J.  H.  Mills,  William  H.  Barkley,  James 
H.  Brazleton,  G.  M.  Burnside,  Albert  B.  Maxwell,  Stephen  R.  Bell,  F.  H. 
Sanders,  A.  Mead,  Joseph  Hebb,  Washington  A.  Biggs. 

The  very  extensive  correspondence,  and  the  wide  separation  of  the 
authors  may,  perhaps,  have  caused  others,  equally  deserving,  to  be  over 
looked. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 


OCTOBER,   1861,  TO  JANUARY,   1863. 


CHAPTER    I. 

CAMP  DOUGLAS.— BENTON  BARRACKS. — PADUCAH. — TENNESSEE  RIVER. 

Old  Camp  Douglas'and  the  Douglas  Brigade.  David  Stuart.  The  Forty- 
second  Illinois  Infantry  departs.  Oscar  Malmborg  appears.  A  vigilant 
Sentinel.  Colonel  Stuart's  Energy  under  Difficulties.  Removal  to  New 
Camp  Douglas.  Methodist  Ministers  as  Recruiting  Officers.  Revolv 
ing  Rifles  and  Sharp-shooting.  Discipline  and  Drill.  Organization  of 
the  Fifty-fifth.  Drummed  out  of  Camp.  Arbitrary  Promotions  and 
Transfers.  Running  the  Guard.  The  Original  Roster  of  Officers. 
Farewell  to  Chicago.  Grand  Military  Ovation.  Peculiar  Organization 
of  the  Fifty-fifth.  At  Benton  Barracks,  St.  Louis.  William  Tecumseh 
Sherman  Appears  upon  the  Scene.  The  Regiment  Receives  Worthless 
Arms.  Sergeant  Kendrick's  Protest.  Down  the  Mississippi  on  the  D. 
A.  January.  Stuck  on  a  Sand-bar.  Arrival  at  Paducah.  The  Camp  in 
the  Snow.  The  Orderly-Sergeants  and  Colonel  Stuart's  Oration  to  them. 
Building  a  Fort.  Fun  at  the  Sutlers'.  The  Dresden  Rifle  issued.  The 
Fifty-fifth  Delegate  at  Donelson.  The  Brass  Band  Departs.  Numer 
ous  Changes  in  the  Line  Officers.  Expedition  to  Columbus,  Ky.  The 
Regimental  Baggage  Train.  On  the  Steamboat  Hannibal,  up  the  Ten 
nessee.  Colonel  Stuart  Airs  his  Eloquence.  Sundry  Promotions.  Ex 
pedition  to  Tyler's  Landing.  Return  to  Pittsburgh  Landing.. .  17-65. 

CHAPTER   II. 

THE   BATTLE   OF    SHILOH. 

Pittsburgh  Landing  Described.  The  Little  Peach  Orchard  at  Locust 
Creek.  Camps  of  Stuart's  Brigade.  Shiloh  Church.  Reconnoissance 
to  Monterey.  Captain  Clay's  only  Capture.  The  Grand  Left  Wheel  of 


10  CONTENTS. 

the  Confederate  Army.  The  Friday  Night  Alarm.  The  Day  before 
the  Struggle.  The  Union  General's  Delusion.  Opening  of  the  Great 
Battle  of  Sunday.  The  Condition  of  the  Federal  Lines.  Stuart's  Re 
port.  Comments  upon  the  Report.  Vindication  of  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio. 
Disgrace  of  the  Seventy-first  Ohio.  General  Sherman's  Report.  "A 
Section  of  a  Battle."  Absurd  Tactics.  Colonel  Stuart's  Gallantry. 
Captain  Lockett's  Mistake.  Chalmers'  and  Jackson's  Brigades  De 
tached  from  the  Confederate  Right  to  Meet  Stuart.  A  Fearful  Retreat. 
Rally  at  the  Landing.  The  Confederates'  Opportunity  Lost.  The 
Massed  Artillery  Opens.  The  Last  Rebel  Charge  Repulsed.  The 
Chaplain's  Work  of  Mercy.  Monday  Morning.  The  Fifty-fifth  in 
Battle  on  the  Right  Flank.  The  Thicket  of  Water-Oaks.  The  Con 
flict  about  Shiloh  Church.  The  Battle  Won.  General  Bragg's  Lamen 
tation.  Personal  Incidents.  The  Postmaster's  Return  to  Camp.  Death 
of  Sergeant  Bagley.  Goodwin's  Heroism.  Little  Joe  Awakens  in 
Strange  Company.  Garner  not  Killed.  The  Dead  Bugler.  The  Skir 
mishers.  Burial  of  the  Slain  Heroes.  Shiloh  Revisited.  The  National 
Cemetery.  Condition  of  the  Battle-field.  The  Old  Graves.  The  Cas 
ualties  on  the  Left  of  Grant's  Army.  The  Sanguinary  Character  of  the 
Battle.  Extraordinary  Losses  ot  the  Fifty-fifth 66-134. 


CHAPTER   III. 

AFTER   SHILOH.— CORINTH   TO   MEMPHIS. 

The  Camp  at  Shiloh  Church.  Patriotic  Letter  of  Captain  Thurston,  etc. 
The  Seventy-first  Ohio  Sent  to  the  Rear.  Brigadier-General  Morgan 
L.  Smith  Supersedes  Stuart.  "The  Prettiest  Little  Fight  of  the  War." 
"Hurrah  for  the  Fifty-fifth!"  Ebersold's  Conclusive  Evidence.  Building 
Earth-works.  Lieutenant  Von  Johnson's  Arrest.  A  Forward  Move 
ment.  The  Stag  Hunt.  Corinth  Evacuated.  Halleck's  Barren  Vic 
tory.  Stuart's  Cheaply-Won  Honor.  Marching  and  Countermarching. 
Captain  Thurston  Goes  Home.  A  Burial  by  Night.  The  Brigade  runs 
a  Bank.  The  Sixth  Missouri's  New  Hats  Disgraced.  Company  I  Steals 
a  Ham.  Only  the  Top  Rail.  Memphis  Entered.  Fogarty's  Best.  A 
Summer  Camp.  Novel  Guard  Duty.  Review  and  Exhibition  Drills. 
Harvesting  Sweet  Potatoes.  Expedition  to  Hernando.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Malmborg  Heroically  Shares  in  the  Privations  of  the  Men. 
Shelby  Depot  and  the  Cotton-burners  Visited.  Fisher  Falls  out  of  the 
Window.  Captain  Black  and  Sergeant  Lomax  Assaulted  in  the  Rear. 
Blahs  Astonishes  the  Ladies.  Camp  Architecture.  Oliver  Blows  up 
the  Cooks.  Contrabands.  Augustine's  Narrow  Escape.  Promotions 
but  no  Commissions.  Stuart  again  in  Command  of  a  Brigade.  Corres 
pondence  with  Governor  Yates.  Stuart's  Scurrilous  Letter.  The  Offi 
cers  Vindicated 1-1^' 


CONTENTS.  II 

CHAPTER   IV. 

TALLAHATCHIE. — CHICKASAW   BAYOU. — ARKANSAS    POST. 

Leaving  Memphis.  Shelter  Tents.  Rations  and  Baggage.  Pigeon-Roost 
Creek.  Inspiring  Exhortation  of  the  Chaplain.  Across  the  Tallahatchie. 
Jim  Watkins  shifts  a  Responsibility.  Return  to  Memphis.  Loss  of 
Division  Train.  Down  the  Mississippi.  Vicksburg  and  the  Yazoo. 
March  to  the  Field.  The  Battle  Cry  of  Freedom.  Skirmishing  Begins. 
"Column  py  File."  The  Bayou.  Dick  Needham's  Advance.  Bom 
bardment  of  the  Southern  Confederacy.  General  M.  L.  Smith  Wound 
ed.  Heavy  Cannonading.  Sharp-shooting  across  the  Bayou.  Captain 
Schleich  Killed.  The  Brigade  Relieved.  Colonel  Blood  and  the  Sixth 
Missouri.  The  Attack  a  Failure.  Up  the  River.  Copperheads  of  the 
North.  Arkansas  Post.  Surrounding  the  Intrenched  Camp.  The  Ten- 
inch  Gun  Speaks.  The  Gun-boat's  Answer.  The  Battle.  Nagleschmidt 
Disgusted.  Capture  of  the  Fort.  The  Remnant  of  the  Fifty-eighth 
Ohio.  Down  the  Arkansas.  Foraging  upon  a  Rebel  General.  Deser 
tions  179-206. 


PART    II. 

JANUARY,  1863,  TO  NOVEMBER,  1864. 
CHAPTER   V. 

THE   VICKSBURG   CAMPAIGN. 

Down  the  Mississippi.  The  Young's-Point  Canal.  A  Gloomy  Period  in 
the  History  of  the  Regiment.  Numerous  Changes  in  Commissioned 
Officers.  The  Sham  Iron-clad.  Copperhead  Newspaper  Correspond 
ents.  Drowned-out.  The  Expedition  to  Great  American  Bend.  "Ez 
many  Lords  ez  Debils."  A  Leak  in  the  Commissary's  Whiskey  Barrel. 
Farragut's  Visit.  Colonel  Stuart's  Farewell.  The  Fleet  Passes  the  Bat 
teries.  Arming  the  Negro.  Feint  on  Haines's  Bluff.  General  Morgan 
L.  Smith  'Comes  to  See  the  Boys.'  The  Flank  Movement  Begins. 
Along  Lake  St.  Joseph.  Grand  Gulf.  Testimonial  to  Surgeon  Roler. 
Battle  of  Champion's  Hill.  Across  the  Big  Black.  Assault  of  May  19. 
List  of  Casualties  in  Assault.  The  Drummer  Boy  and  Calibre  54.  As 
sault  of  May  22.  The  Storming  Party.  List  of  Killed  and  Wounded. 
A  Truce.  Expedition  into  the  Yazoo  Valley.  Siege  Operations.  A 
Leap  for  Liberty.  The  Naval  Bombardment.  Blowing-up  a  Fort.  The 
Surrender.  Casualties  of  the  Regiment  during  Siege 209-256. 


12  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   VI. 

THE    JACKSON    CAMPAIGN. — CAMP   SHERMAN. 

A  Hot  March  in  a  Thirsty  Land.  Mississippi's  Capital  Invested.  A  Truce 
and  a  Rebel  Colonel's  Close  Call.  The  Orderly-Sergeant's  Revolving 
Rifle.  Johnston's  Discreet  Retreat.  The  Casualties.  Return  Towards 
Vicksburg.  Summer  Camp  upon  the  Big  Black.  Dispersion  of  the 
Grand  Army.  Suppressed  Charges  and  Specifications.  Sad  Incident 
at  Amsterdam  Ford.  William  Tecumseh  Sherman  has  a  Namesake. 
Malaria  and  its  Victims.  Quartermaster  Janes  Promoted.  Good-bye 
to  Mississippi.  Twenty-five  Years  after 257-271. 

CHAPTER   VII. 

THE  CHATTANOOGA  AND  KNOXVILLE  CAMPAIGNS. 

Memphis  Revisited.  Chasing  Chalmer's  Cavalry.  Sherman  and  the  Sut 
ler.  Battle  at  Cherokee  Station.  Tuscumbia.  Forced  March  through 
Tennessee  and  Alabama.  Nickajack  Cave.  Meeting  the  Paper-col 
lared,  Brass-mounted  Troops  from  the  East.  The  Fifteenth  Corps  at 
last  discovers  that  it  Wears  a  Badge.  On  North  Chickamauga  Creek. 
The  Night  Excursion  in  Pontoons.  Attack  upon  Tunnel  Hill.  Battle 
of  Missionary  Ridge.  The  Pursuit.  To  the  Rescue  of  Burnside.  East 

Tennessee  Loyalty.    "From  every  stormy  wind  that  blows." Tellico 

Plains.  The  Return.  Cold  and  Starvation.  The  Barefoot  Brigade. 
At  Bridgeport.  The  Detail  for  Recruiting  Service  led  North  by  the 
Colonel 272-294. 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

WINTER    QUARTERS. —  RE-ENLISTMENT. 

Through  Mud  and  Frost  to  Bellefonte.  Congratulations  from  General  M. 
L.  Smith.  Escorting  Ladies  across  the  Tennessee.  At  Larkinsville  on 
Provost  Guard.  Sand  Mountain  Expeditions.  Guarding  the  Pontoon 
Bridge.  The  Officers'  Extraordinary  Pledge  to  the  Enlisted  Men. 
The  Alabama  Flat  Rock  Dances.  The  Loyal  Refugees.  Testimonial 
to  the  Chaplain.  Voting  for  Presidential  Candidates.  Return  of  the 
Colonel.  The  Regiment  Re-enlists.  Election  of  Officers.  The  Colonel's 
Letter  to  the  Adjutant-General  of  Illinois.  Homeward  Bound  on 
Veteran  Furlough.  General  Sherman's  Address  at  Nashville.  At 
Chicago 295-315. 

CHAPTER   IX. 

THE   ATLANTA   CAMPAIGN. 

The  Non-veterans  on  the  Road  to  Atlanta.  Doctor  Roler's  dangerous 
Effervescing  Draught.  The  Veterans  again  Under  Fire.  Fatalism. 
The  Assault  upon  Little  Kenesaw.  The  Patriot  Dead.  By  the  Right 


CONTENTS.  13 

Flank.  Captain  Shaw  elected  Lieutenant-Colonel.  Across  the  Chatta- 
hoochee.  The  Battle  of  Atlanta.  A  Brigadier's  costly  Blunders.  Bat 
tle  Casualties.  A  Wearisome  March  to  the  Extreme  Right.  The  Battle 
of  Ezra  Chapel.  General  Howard  introduces  himself  to  the  Fifteenth 
Corps.  The  Regiment's  Loss.  General  Lightburn  sends  the  Regiment 
into  a  Hornets'  Nest.  Captain  Shaw's  unjust  Dismissal  and  Tardy  Vin 
dication.  General  William  B.  Hazen  supersedes  Lightburn.  Major 
Heffernan  asks  for  Promotion.  Correspondence  with  Governor  Yates. 
Siege  Casualties.  Again  by  the  Right  Flank.  The  Battle  of  Jonesboro'. 
The  Regimental  Loss.  In  Camp  at  East  Point.  Promotions  in  the 
Line.  Return  of  Prisoners  from  Andersonville.  Escorting  Hood  to  the 
Tennessee.  Muster-out  of  the  Non-veterans.  Lieutenant  Oliver's  Raid 
upon  Chattanooga.  At  Vinings,  preparing  to  cut  loose  from  a  Base. 
316-382. 


PART  III. 

NOVEMBER,  1864,  TO  AUGUST,  1865. 


CHAPTER    X. 
FROM   ATLANTA   TO   THE   SEA. 

Preparing  for  the  Grand  March.  Voting  for  President.  The  State  of 
Illinois  Misrepresented  by  its  Legislature.  Destruction  of  Atlanta. 
The  Order  of  March.  The  Mule  versus  Mess-chests.  Building  Cordu 
roy  Roads.  The  Bivouac.  The  First  Foraging  Party.  A  Sharp  Skir 
mish.  Strict  Obedience  to  Orders.  The  Second  Division  Storms  Fort 
McAllister.  Lieutenant  Ebersold  wins  a  Race.  Letters  and  Hard-tack 
once  more.  Savannah  Evacuated.  Too  much  Rice.  Camp  in  the  City. 
The  ever-faithful  Negroes 385-402. 

CHAPTER   XL 

FROM   SAVANNAH   TO    GOLDSBOROUGH. 

South  Carolina  Invaded.  At  Beaufort.  The  March  Northward  Begins. 
The  Smoke  of  Retribution.  The  Bummers  Capture  the  Railway. 
Night  Adventure  on  the  South  Edisto.  Wading  the  Swamps  of  the 
North  Edisto.  A  Turkey  Supper  Missing.  The  Saluda  Peninsula 
Gained.  Occupation  of  Columbia.  A  Night  of  Horrors.  Jubilation  of 
the  Colored  Race.  Destroying  the  Railroads.  Vintage  of  1832.  Che- 
raw  and  Fayetteville  Occupied.  Clearing  the  Trains  of  Surplus 
Animals  and  Goods.  Battles  of  Averysborough  and  Bentonville.  At 
Goldsborough.  Capture  of  Foragers.  A  Brief  Pause 403-416. 


14  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

ADVENTURES  OF  THE  FORAGERS. 

The  Permanent  Detail  from  the  Fifty-fifth.  A  Balky  Mule  in  Action. 
Treated  to  Confederate  Cake.  Union  Prisoners  Retaken.  A  Novel 
Method  of  Transporting  Whiskey.  Thirty  Miles  ahead  of  the  Main 
Column.  Running  a  Grist-mill.  Nothing  Buried,  but  much  Treasure 
Trove.  Southern  Hospitality.  A  Desperate  Encounter  with  Hampton's 
Cavalry.  The  Sins  and  Services  of  the  Bummers 417-427. 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

FROM   GOLDSBOROUGH   TO   CHICAGO. 

A  Fruitless  Regimental  Election.  All  Fools'  Day.  On  the  Road  again. 
News  of  the  Fall  of  Richmond  and  Lee's  Surrender.  Marching  through 
Raleigh.  The  Assassination  of  President  Lincoln,  and  Johnston's 
Capitulation.  The  Regiment  receives  a  New  Stand  of  Colors.  The 
Last  Foraging  Party.  On  to  Richmond  at  Double-quick.  Humble 
Expectations  of  the  Paroled  Confederates.  Viewing  the  Virginia  Bat 
tle-grounds.  At  Washington  for  the  Grand  Review.  A  Batch  of  Pro 
motions.  To  Louisville  for  Muster-out.  Ordered  to  Arkansas.  Memphis 
once  more.  In  Barracks  at  Little  Rock.  Mustered  out.  The  Journey 
Home.  The  Last  Army  Rations  at  Camp  Douglas 428-440. 


PERSONAL   REMINISCENCES  OF  CHAPLAIN   HANEY. 

As  Captain  at  Camp  Douglas.  Appointed  Chaplain.  The  Battle-field  of 
Shiloh.  At  the  Landing.  A  Cheap  Dinner  at  La  Grange.  Exciting  Ad 
venture  Outside  the  Lines.  Escaped  Slaves  in  the  Memphis  Camp. 
The  Dream  of  Captain  Schleich  and  his  Death.  General  M.  L.  Smith 
Wounded.  Incidents  at  Arkansas  Post.  The  Wounded  Neglected. 
Appealing  to  Sherman.  Gloomy  Times  at  Young's  Point.  The  Blinded 
Boy  at  Raymond.  An  Affecting  Incident  in  Hospital  before  Vicksburg. 
The  Sceptic  and  the  Negro  at  Camp  Sherman.  Incidents  in  the  Assault 
of  Missionary  Ridge.  Foraging  during  the  March  to  Knoxville.  An 
ecdotes  of  the  Unionists.  The  Arrest  of  Captain  Shaw  denounced.  In 
Illinois  for  Recruits.  Disappointed  Hopes.  Conclusion 441-462. 


APPENDIX. 

Roster  of  Field,  Staff  and  Band 464 

Roster  of  Regiment  by  Companies 468 

Summary  of  Losses  by  Companies 518 

Casualties  of  Battle  during  War 519 


PART  I. 


FROM  CHICAGO  TO  ARKANSAS  POST. 


OCTOBER,  1861,  TO  JANUARY,  1863, 


BY 


CAPTAIN    LUCIEN    B.  CROCKER. 


IXC 


THE    STORY 

OF    THE 

FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY, 


CHAPTER    I. 

CAMP      DOUGLAS.  —  BENTON       BARRACKS.  —  PADUCAH.  —  UP     THE 

TENNESSEE. 

THE  national  agony  of  1861  called  from  peaceful  homes 
a  glorious  procession  of  patriots.  As  they  went  march 
ing  to  the  front,  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  swung  into  line.  How 
it  got  there  and  what  it  did  afterward  has  never,  in  any  con 
nected  way,  been  told.  It  struck  great  blows  in  battle,  but 
its  dead  were  buried  without  ostentation,  and  it  passed  on  to 
other  duties.  Its  strong  tread  traversed  many  states,  but  no 
one  wrote  its  annals.  It  did  knightly  service,  but  no  one 
penned  lyrics  in  its  honor.  Its  commanding  officers  seldom 
wrote  reports,  as  was  proper,  to  give  it  a  literature  of  its  own. 
It  went  uncomplainingly  through  the  whole  Southern  Con 
federacy —  from  Shiloh  to  Vicksburg,  to  Chattanooga  and 
Knoxville,  to  Atlanta,  and  from  thence  to  the  sea.  It  then 
faced  north,  and  finding  no  further  work  around  the  capital  of 
the  Confederacy,  passed  by,  and  its  short  platoons  helped 
swell  the  sublime  cadence  of  the  Grand  Review.  Even  then 
it  could  not  be  spared,  for  some  months  of  irksome  duty  re 
mained  to  be  done  about  the  work  of  reconstruction.  Finally 
it  was  disbanded,  and  its  members,  all  that  remained,  returned 
to  the  walks  of  civil  life,  never  thinking  of  the  record  of  their 
deeds.  They  had  grown  so  familiar  with  brave  acts  that  it 
did  not  seem  worth  while  to  mention  them. 
2 


l8  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

Now  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  passed.  Their  traditions 
have  grown  precious  to  the  old  soldiers.  They  desire  to 
leave  some  record  for  their  children.  They  begin  to  wish 
that  the  incidents  of  their  career  in  the  armies  of  the  Union 
may  be  gathered  from  the  wrecks  of  fading  memories  and 
the  waifs  of  fleeting  literature,  and  a  humble  history  be  made 
of  them.  These  yearnings  took  form  at  the  first  reunion  held 
by  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  -in  October,  A.  D.  1884.  To  the 
writer  is  assigned  that  portion  of  the  regimental  history 
which  terminates  with  the  battle  of  Arkansas  Post.  With  a 
love  born  of  sacred  associations  the  task  is  approached.  With 
a  fear  born  of  its  responsibilities  the  duty  is  undertaken.  That 
which  follows  is  an  attempt  to  preserve  such  of  the  adven 
tures  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry  during  the 
great  War  of  the  Rebellion  as  can  be  authenticated. 

Early  in  the  summer  of  1861,  David  Stuart,  a  lawyer  of 
Chicago,  obtained  authority  directly  from  the  War  Depart 
ment  to  raise  a  body  of  troops  to  participate  in  the  conflict 
just  then  assuming  formidable  proportions.  It  is  not  known 
how  large  an  organization  he  at  first  contemplated,  but  it  is 
probable  a  single  regiment  only  was  proposed,  of  which  he 
might  be  the  colonel.  Following  such  authority  came  the 
announcement  through  every  medium  by  which  the  public 
could  be  reached,  that  recruits  would  be  welcomed  at  Camp 
Douglas,  named  as  the  place  of  rendezvous.  Many  were 
tendered  from  different  portions  of  the  state.  For  the  most 
part  they  came  in  the  form  of  embryo  companies,  headed  by 
men  who  were  ambitious  of  becoming  captains;  for  in  those 
days  the  world  was  full  of  heroes,  who,  like  Artemas  Ward's 
famous  warriors,  were  willing  to  serve  as  brigadiers,  and  who 
sometimes  condescended  to  serve  in  lower  stations  until  their 
exalted  talents  became  known.  As  a  rule  these  so-called 
companies  embraced  fewer  men  than  were  required  by  law  to 
make  a  regimental  unit,  but  they  invariably  had  a  full  com 
plement  of  prospective  officers,  who  patriotically  and  vocif 
erously  proposed  to  recruit  their  respective  organizations  to 
the  maximum  in  the  near  future. 

It  soon  became  apparent  that  if  these  companies  were  all 
filled  to  the  required  standard,  much  more  than  the  limited 


THE    DOUGLAS    BRIGADE.  19 

* 

scope  of  a  regimental  line  would  be  needed  to  give  them  a 
fair  chance  to  distinguish  themselves.  Some  companies  were 
soon  filled,  or  nearly  so,  and  all  were  composed  of  the  best 
material.  A  moderate  faith  in  the  patriotism  of  Illinois  jus 
tified  the  belief  that  all,  or  nearly  all,  could  be  recruited  to 
the  full  standard.  A  more  expansive  christening  was  there 
fore  proper,  and  the  standard  of  the  "Douglas  Brigade"  was 
erected  within  the  confines  of  old  Camp  Douglas. 

A  more  appropriate  name  could  not  have  been  selected. 
Douglas,  the  great  statesman  of  Illinois,  had  broken  away 
from  the  bonds  of  party  affiliation,  and  in  words  which  "go 
thundering  down  the  ages,"  placed  himself  squarely  among 
the  friends  of  the  Union.  The  camp  was  in  plain  view  of 
the  University  endowed  by  and  named  for  him;  close  by  and 
beside  the  waves  of  the  unsalted  seas  was  the  spot  that  had 
just  opened  its  bosom  to  receive  his  mortal  remains.  There 
now  stands  a  beautiful  monument  to  commemorate  his  fame; 
and  as  the  morning  sun  kisses  it,  the  shadows  fall  upon  the 
first  camping-ground  of  the  men  who  so  gloriously  perpetu 
ated  his  name.  David  Stuart  was  a  follower  of  this  "plumed 
knight,"  and  an  ardent  war-democrat;  and  he  doubtless  gave 
form  to  his  own  sentiments  when  he  advertised  the  name  of 
Douglas  Brigade. 

At  the  time  the  fragments  began  to  arrive  which  afterward 
became  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  one  regiment  was  fairly  organ 
ized,  though  its  ranks  were  by  no  means  full.  The  War  De 
partment  became  clamorous  for  the  fulfillment  of  Stuart's 
sanguine  promises,  and  his  every  energy  was  devoted  to  the 
completion  of  the  first  regiment  of  the  brigade.  Finally,  to 
bring  about  that  result,  the  opportunity  was  given  for  recruits 
from  the  proposed  second  regiment  to  be  transferred  to  its 
ranks.  Some,  anxious  to  reach  the  actual  scene  of  conflict, 
availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity,  much  to  the  disgust  of 
various  putative  officers,  who  saw  in  the  disappearance  of  their 
men  the  prospect  of  commissions  grow  more  distant.  Its 
complement  obtained,  the  first  regiment  took  its  departure 
and  made  a  glorious  record  as  the  Forty-second  Illinois  In 
fantry.  It  was  very  fortunate  in  its  field  officers.  Its  first 
commander,  Captain  Webb  of  the  regular  army,  was  an 


20  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

officer  of  great  promise  and  fine  personal  appearance,  but  died 
early  and  before  an  opportunity  was  given  him  to  distinguish 
himself.  Its  next  commander,  Colonel  Roberts,  a  perfect 
soldier,  died  at  the  head  of  one  of  Sheridan's  brigades  in  the 
pine  thickets  of  Stone  River.  Such  commanders  as  Swain 
and  Walworth  subsequently  graced  the  roster  of  its  field  and 
staff. 

Stuart  for  a  short  time  acted  as  lieutenant-colonel  of  this 
regiment,  having  gone  through  the  form  of  an  election  to 
that  position,  but  ultimately  concluded  to  assume  the  chief 
command  of  the  second  regiment,  then  taking  form.  What 
measure  of  success  attended  the  flight  of  his  ambition  will 
hereafter  more  fully  appear.  At  the  time  the  Forty-second 
left  for  the  field,  there  remained  in  old  Camp  Douglas  numer 
ous  quasi  companies,  all  striving  to  recruit  to  the  necessary 
standard  of  full  organizations,  and  all  in  an  awkward  way 
practicing  the  rudimentary  forms  of  drill  under  officers  gen 
erally  as  awkward  as  the  boys  they  commanded.  If  all  were 
equally  uncouth,  they  were  equally  in  earnest,  and  the  pro 
cess  by  which  they  passed  from  shambling,  rustic  recruits  to 
calm,  brave  and  self-reliant  soldiers  did  not  differ  greatly 
from  the  experience  of  the  average  American  volunteer. 

The  camp  was  upon  a  succession  of  sandy  knolls  sparsely 
covered  with  scrubby  black-oak  timber.  The  barracks  were  a 
series  of  detached,  rough  buildings,  which  served  well  enough 
the  purpose  of  shelter  at  that  season  of  the  year.  Nearly 
every  man  was  a  robust  countryman  blessed  with  good  health 
and  abundant  animal  spirits.  No  fence  or  wall  surrounded 
the  grounds,  but  the  exuberant  recruit  was  kept  within  rea 
sonable  bounds  by  a  line  of  guards  stretched  entirely  around 
the  camp.  No  arms  or  uniforms  had  yet  been  issued,  rough 
cudgels  cut  from  the  adjoining  thicket  being  the  weapons 
relied  upon  to  represent  authority  and  repel  danger.  The 
responsibility  resting  upon  the  vigorous  but  uncouth  recruit, 
when  he  was  called  upon  to  walk  the  guard  line,  dressed  in 
homespun  and  griping  a  hickory  club,  was  fearful  to  behold; 
and  appearances  did  not  always  do  full  justice  to  the  ardent 
but  undisciplined  patriot  attempting  it.  Rations  were  good 
and  plentiful,  but  suffered  occasionally  at  the  hands  of  inex- 


LIEUTENANT-COLONEL  AND  COLONEL.      21 

perienced  cooks,  whose  efforts  were  not  always  economical 
or  palatable. 

The  ranks  of  Companies  A,  F,  and  D,  were  nearer  full 
than  any  others  of  the  regiment,  having  been  vigorously  re 
cruited  by  the  Pressons  and  Haneys,  eloquent  and  patriotic 
ministers  of  the  Methodist  denomination,  who  belonged  as 
well  to  the  church  militant,  and  were  earnest  believers  in  the 
"sword  of  the  Lord  of  Gideon." 

As  the  second  regiment  was  filling  its  ranks  there  appeared 
upon  the  scene  one  Oscar  Malmborg,  around  whose  name 
hung  a  vague  mystery  of  noble  lineage  and  military  glory  — 
the  former  never  to  be  verified  and  the  latter  scarcely  con 
firmed.  From  that  time  the  country  round  about  resounded 
with  such  orders  as:  "Column  py  file,"  "Charge  pea-nuts," 
with  an  occasional  exasperated  inquiry  like:  "What  for  you 
face  mit  your  pack?" — all  uttered  in  ferocious  tones  and  for 
eign  accent.  He  sprang  from  a  race  which  gave  to  the  world 
Gustavus  Adolphus  and  Charles  XII,  and  for  a  time  was  sup 
posed  to  embody  in  his  own  proper  person  the  combined 
military  genius  of  those  two  great  characters.  He  certainly 
possessed  more  than  all  their  infirmities  of  temper.  He  had 
for  some  time  previous  been  employed  in  the  emigrant  de 
partment  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company.  It  was 
soon  apparent  that  he  had  some  tactical  knowledge,  then  a 
rare  acquirement,  and  considerable,  though  often  misdirected, 
energy.  His  manners  were  not  popular,  and  his  temper  was 
tyrannical  and  unreasonable,  all  of  which  was  far  better  un 
derstood  during  his  subsequent  intimate  connection  with  the 
regiment.  Among  his  early  methods  of  imparting  military 
knowledge  was  a  habit  of  approaching  sentinels  unawares  at 
all  times  of  day  and  night  for  the  purpose  of  testing  their 
vigilance.  During  one  of  these  nocturnal  visitations  he 
silently  approached  a  stalwart  recruit  of  Company  B,  who 
was  armed  with  a  stout  club  and  serenely  walking  to  and  fro 
upon  his  beat.  In  the  darkness  of  the  oak  thicket  the  chal 
lenge  and  a  tremendous  blow  came  instantaneously,  and  the 
stars  looked  down  upon  a  collapsed  and  badly  injured  pros 
pective  colonel.  A  very  black  eye  for  several  weeks  gave 
token  of  the  strength  of  the  club  and  the  arm  behind  it,  and 


FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

if  any  doubts  remained  as  to  the  watchfulness  and  vigor  of 
that  sentinel,  they  were  never  expressed  within  the  hearing 
of  mortal  man.  All  this  of  course  gave  intense  enjoyment 
to  the  "high  privates,"  to  whom  nothing  has  such  exquisite 
humor  as  getting  the  advantage  of  an  officer  while  on  guard 
duty. 

In  the  first  volume  of  Dr.  Eddy's  "  Patriotism  of  Illinois" 
is  a  statement  as  follows,  relating  to  Colonel  Stuart  : 

Circumstances  of  an  unfortunate  character  had  occurred  at  Chicago 
which  for  a  time  cast  a  cloud  over  his  career,  and  acting  under  prejudices 
very  natural  the  press,  the  bar  and  even  the  public,  with  few  exceptions, 
interposed  every  obstacle  and  barrier  to  his  success  in  raising  the  Doug 
las  Brigade. 

This  is  an  allusion,  charitably  veiled,  to  the  part  played 
by  David  Stuart  in  the  celebrated  Birch  divorce  case,  the 
most  notorious  affair  of  its  kind  in  the  annals  of  Western 
jurisprudence.  It  is  also  a  proper  and  delicate  statement  of 
the  influence  of  that  scandal  upon  the  formation  of  the 
organization  under  consideration.  A  reference  to  it  is  here 
necessary  because  it  did  have  such  influence,  and  for  the 
further  reason  that  it  greatly  affected  the  career  of  its  first 
colonel,  and  played  an  important  part  both  in  his  entering 
the  service  and  in  his  finally  quitting  it  altogether.  To  a 
man  of  Stuart's  temperament  and  ambition  the  social  results 
were  terrible.  Without  desire  or  purpose  to  enter  upon  a 
statement  of  fact  or  a  discussion  of  the  merits  of  this  cele 
brated  case,  it  is  proper  to  state  that  it  was  accountable 
for  many  things  which  occurred  ;  notably  the  absence  of 
newspaper  praise  and  the  lack  of  high-toned  patronage  usually 
accorded  to  regiments  organized  in  Chicago.  The  author 
above  quoted  fully  and  fairly  estimates  the  matter,  and  adds 
to  the  extract  already  given  as  follows  : 

David  Stuart,  by  his  own  energies,  with  his  own  purse  and  talents, 
persistence  and  power,  raised  and  put  into  the  field  the  Douglas  Brigade, 
consisting  of  two  regiments  of  one  thousand  men  each,  and  finer  regi 
ments  never  joined  the  armies  of  the  Union. 

This  is  not  too  much  to  say  of  the  efforts  of  Stuart  while 
perfecting  these  organizations,  nor  is  it  over-praise  of  the 
Forty-second  and  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 


CAMP    DOUGLAS.  23 

While  old  Camp  Douglas  was  resounding  with  sonorous 
military  commands  and  echoing  with  the  boisterous  shouts  of 
lusty  volunteers,  a  new  camp,  just  north  and  in  the  immedi 
ate  vicinity,  was  being  constructed,  which  was  to  be  of  a 
more  permanent  character.  This  was  the  Camp  Douglas  of 
history,  and  it  became  one  of  the  most  important  of  the  war, 
celebrated  alike  as  the  rendezvous  of  Federal  troops,  the 
camp  of  Confederate  prisoners,  and  the  seat  of  Democratic 
conspiracy.  The  barracks  when  completed  were  more  in  ac 
cordance  with  military  usages  than  the  temporary  sheds  of  the 
old  camp,  being  arranged  in  long  rows  surrounding  a  spacious 
parade  and  drill  ground,  all  of  suitable  dimensions  and  equal 
to  the  needs  of  a  camp  of  instruction.  The  entire  grounds 
were  enclosed  by  a  high  board  fence  with  due  arrangements 
for  sentinels,  and  thereafter  "running  the  guard"  became  a 
matter  of  greater  difficulty.  At  what  precise  date  the  re 
moval  from  the  old  to  the  new  camp  took  place,  is  not  now 
ascertainable,  nor  is  it  important.  The  new  quarters  and 
regulations,  while  they  interfered  somewhat  with  the  picnic 
aspect  of  affairs,  were  much  more  commodious  and  practical 
in  a  military  sense.  The  long  lines  of  barracks  were  divided 
into  sections,  each  large  enough  to  contain  an  entire  com 
pany,  with  separate  rooms  for  its  officers  adjoining.  Neither 
paint  nor  superfluous  style  was  used  about  their  construction, 
but  for  the  purposes  of  warmth,  convenience  and  shelter, 
these  buildings  were  the  best  ever  occupied  by  the  Fifty- 
fifth. 

Recruiting  for  the  regiment  was  pushed  vigorously.  The 
most  efficient  agents  in  such  work  were  the  Methodist  minis 
ters  before  spoken  of,  who,  when  their  own  organizations 
were  filled,  went  to  other  localities  in  behalf  of  the  remain 
ing  companies;  and  their  aggressive,  eloquent  appeals  always 
brought  forth  fruits.  This  was  especially  true  of  the  Rev. 
Wm.  A.  Presson,  captain  of  Company  A,  to  whom  the  regi 
ment  was  greatly  indebted  for  filling  its  ranks.  In  face  of 
the  lack  of  public  sympathy  and  actual  opposition,  it  is 
doubtful  if  Stuart  would  have  succeeded  in  filling  the  Fifty- 
fifth  without  the  aid  of  these  able  and  earnest  clergymen. 
Among  other  adventures,  J.  T.  McAuley,  E.  C.  Lawrence  and 


24  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

H.  A.  Smith,  ambitious  young  men  who  ultimately  became 
officers,  went  to  Wisconsin  in  search  of  recruits.  Just  as  their 
success  was  assured,  the  authorities  of  that  state  swooped 
down  upon  them  and  took  their  men  away,  and  they  them 
selves  were  barely  allowed  to  depart,  recruitless  and  disgusted. 
These  were  the  first  men  captured  from  the  Fifty-fifth,  unless 
it  may  be  here  and  there  one  by  the  Chicago  police. 

This  was  the  romantic  and  formative  period  of  the  war. 
While  patriotism  was  gloriously  universal,  little  practical 
knowledge  existed  regarding  the  magnitude  of  the  conflict 
or  its  bloody  necessities.  The  average  infantry  volunteer  had 
a  vague  notion  that  "sharpshooters,"  to  be  used  for  the  pur 
pose  of  crawling  up  behind  trees  and  killing  the  rebel  generals 
were  principally  needed.  Nearly  every  man  who  enlisted  at 
this  juncture  intended  to  connect  himself  with  that  branch  of 
the  service;  and  to  use  in  that  connection  some  fantastic 
combination  of  telescopic  sights  and  breech-loading  rifles. 
Every  company,  as  soon  as  it  had  a  single  platoon  recruited, 
was  presented  with  a  flag,  generally  by  the  ladies  at  home, 
and  upon  it  was  emblazoned  some  gorgeous  legend  about 
"sharpshooters,"  "guards,"  "rifles,"  and  the  like.  The  army 
musket  was  never  thought  of  or  talked  about,  except  in  a 
contemptuous  way  that  indicated  pity  for  those  who  were 
compelled  to  depend  upon  that  clumsy,  ancient  weapon. 
This  sentiment  was  encouraged  by  the  glib  promises  of  pro 
spective  officers,  who,  in  their  anxiety  to  hasten  enlistments, 
spoke  eloquently  of  improved  rifles  and  sabre  bayonets  as 
adapted  to  the  extermination  of  rebels  at  long  range.  The 
reverend  gentlemen  before  named  carried  with  them  to  the 
rural  districts  and  displayed  upon  the  rostrum  splendid  speci 
mens  of  the  Colt  revolving  rifle,  having  an  attachment  in 
form  of  a  ferocious  sabre  bayonet,  which  last  became  better 
known  afterwards  by  the  scornful  appellation  of  "cheese- 
knife."  Thus  many  who  enlisted  in  the  regiment  expected 
to  be  armed  with  this  ingenious  and  complicated  instrument 
of  death.  In  this  respect  all  regiments  had  to  some  extent 
the  same  experience,  though  others  may  have  lacked  the 
ordained  orators  and  specimen  rifles  used  to  fill  the  ranks  of 
the  future  Fifty-fifth. 


COLT'S    REVOLVING    RIFLE.  25 

During  this  portion  of  the  regimental  career  the  utmost 
industry  was  used  to  master  the  intricacies  of  "  Hardee,"  and 
to  learn  all  that  was  possible  in  a  camp  of  instruction  without 
arms.  At  least  seven  hours  each  day  were  devoted  to  drill 
ing,  aside  from  regulation  parades.  "  Left,  left,  left,"  was 
heard  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  in  all  directions,  bellowed 
with  every  degree  of  fierceness  embryo  warriors  could  infuse 
into  their  tones.  Lieutenant-colonel  Malmborg  was  untiring 
in  his  efforts  at  drill  and  discipline,  and  although  his  zeal  was 
often  impracticable,  there  is  no  reason  for  denying  to  him  the 
credit  of  industrious  effort;  and  at  this  stage,  when  continu 
ance  of  position  and  power  were  not  certain,  the  unreasoning 
tyranny  which  afterwards  characterized  him  was  not  so  mani 
fest.  The  guard  duty  and  mounting  was  attended  to  with  a 
minute  and  wearisome  detail  never  approached  afterwards  in 
actual  field  service. 

From  time  to  time  statements  appeared  in  the  Chicago 
papers  which  serve  to  note  the  progress  of  affairs  in  Camp 
Douglas.  Tedious  search  through  many  hundreds  of  such 
journals  occasionally  reveals  an  item  which,  like  wine,  may 
have  grown  more  valuable  with  age.  On  November  I5th  the 
following  appeared  in  the  Chicago  Tribune,  a  paper  then,  as 
always,  true  to  the  Union  : 

The  Second  Regiment  of  the  Douglas  Brigade,  now  mustered  as  the 
Fifty-fifth  and  stationed  at  Camp  Douglas,  was  yesterday  paid  off  for  the 
time  it  has  been  in  service  up  to  November  ist,  the  gross  amount  required 
being  about  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  This  is  the  first  Illinois  regi 
ment  that  has  been  paid  off  prior  to  going  into  the  field. 

On  the  3 ist  day  of  October,  1861,  the  regiment  had  been 
technically  organized  —  that  is  to  say,  mustered  into  the 
United  States  service  —  and  thereafter  assumed  the  title  of 
the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry  —  a  name  now  glori 
ous  in  the  annals  of  patriotism.  The  gallant  regiments  which 
went  before,  and  the  many  which  followed  after,  have  no  rea 
son  to  feel  ashamed  of  association  with  it. 

At  the  time  of  the  muster  there  was  an  aggregate  of  969 
names  upon  the  rolls.  This  number  was  slightly  increased  by 
individual  accessions  before  taking  the  field.  Among  these 
may  be  mentioned  Dr.  Charles  Winne,  who  joined  as  assist- 


26  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

ant-surgeon  on  Nov.  25th,  and  continued  to  perform  his  duties 
acceptably  until  transferred  for  promotion.  Dr.  E.  O.  F. 
Roler,  who  had  been  for  some  time  acting  as  assistant-surgeon 
and  who  was  at  first  connected  with  the  Forty-second,  was  at 
the  organization  made  surgeon,  and  subsequently  earned  in 
that  position  the  love  and  esteem  of  all  who  came  in  contact 
with  him. 

On  Nov.  25th,  an  incident  somewhat  unique  in  its  charac 
ter  occurred.  It  was  the  drumming-out  of  camp  of  one  Ben 
Pounds  of  Company  I,  who  had  almost  reached  the  infinite 
in  utter  worthlessness.  A  description  of  the  ceremony  is 
worth  attempting,  because  it  happened  but  once  in  the  his 
tory  of  the  regiment.  The  particular  method  by  which  the 
humiliating  sentence  was  enforced  in  that  instance,  was  this  : 
While  the  men  were  formed  for  dress  parade,  the  culprit  was 
escorted  back  and  forth  in  front  of  the  line,  followed  by  the 
band  playing  the  "Rogue's  March."  Upon  the  return,  the 
procession  was  halted  in  front  of  the  colors,  and  Sergeant- 
major  McAuley  cut  from  the  clothes  of  the  victim  every  in 
signia  of  a  soldier,  including  the  buttons  upon  the  cap.  The 
escort  then  wended  its  way,  keeping  time  to  the  same  dolor 
ous  strains,  to  the  gate  of  the  camp,  whence  the  prisoner  was 
incontinently  "fired  out"  into  the  world,  and  the  places  which 
once  knew  him,  knew  him  no  more.  By  the  body  of  the 
regiment  the  punishment  was  considered  dreadful,  but  in  view 
of  the  contemptuous  gestures  made  by  Pounds  as  he  was  dis 
appearing  down  the  road  from  camp,  a  reasonable  doubt 
exists  whether  in  his  case  it  brought  forth  fruit  meet  for 
repentance. 

No  history  of  this  body  of  men  would  be  complete  did  it 
not  preserve  some  facts  regarding  the  different  elements 
which  entered  into  its  composition  and  gave  it  character. 
As  before  stated,  some  companies  were  largely  recruited  by 
Methodist  ministers,  and  naturally  such  companies  were 
strongly  imbued  with  that  pioneer  faith.  They  fully  trusted 
in  Providence,  but  always  kept  their  powder  dry,  and  sang 
psalms,  and  prayed  and  fought  with  a  consistency  and  per 
sistency  worthy  of  Cromwell's  Roundheads.  While  in  no 
sense  a  regiment  of  foreigners,  many  Germans  were  scattered 


CHARACTER   OF    RECRUITS.  27 

through  the  ranks  and,  as  they  always  do,  made  superb  sol 
diers,  and  often  valuable  officers.  Here  and  there  along  the 
line  a  space  was  amply  filled  by  an  Irishman,  who  honorably 
maintained  the  pugnacity  of  his  race.  There  were  a  few 
Swedes,  mainly  in  Company  C,  admirable  representatives  of 
that  blond  and  warlike  race.  Other  nationalities  were  occa 
sionally  represented,  but  were  so  blended  in  the  mass  as  not 
to  present  distinct  characteristics. 

Colonel  Stuart  took  little  part  in  actually  drilling  the  regi 
ment,  and  it  may  be  justly  remarked  in  passing  that  herein 
was  his  first  mistake,  inasmuch  as  he  failed  to  keep  abreast 
or  ahead  of  the  rank  and  file  in  the  acquirement  of  a  knowl 
edge  of  tactics;  and  when  on  occasion  he  sought  publicly  to 
exercise  the  functions  of  his  high  office,  his  lack  of  technical 
training  generated  a  species  of  contempt  always  fatal  to  the 
respect  due  a  field  officer.  No  like  body  of  men  ever  learned 
quicker  to  distinguish  a  proper  from  an  improper  command, 
or  to  appreciate  justly  the  capacity  of  its  officers,  than 
this  same  Fifty-fifth  Illinois.  Another  characteristic  of  Col 
onel  Stuart  early  began  to  manifest  itself — one  which  is  ap 
parent  throughout  his  whole  military  career.  This  was  his 
unbounded  faith  in  the  military  skill  and  inspiration  of  the 
lieutenant-colonel  and  distrust  of  his  own  ability  in  that 
direction.  As  to  the  former,  most  of  the  regiment  and  its 
officers,  for  good  reasons,  differed  with  him;  and  as  to  the 
latter,  a  little  self-reliance,  coupled  with  moderate  industry, 
would  soon  have  brought  all  to  his  feet  in  respectful  admira 
tion  for  his  unquestioned  ability.  He  justly  took  great  pride 
in  the  splendid  organization  forming  under  his  command  — 
the  more  so  as  it  opened  anew  the  portals  of  fame  to  what 
seemed  to  be  a  defeated  ambition,  and  gave  promise  of  tri 
umph  over  the  enemies  who  had  been  at  his  throat.  All  this 
was  commendable,  inasmuch  as  the  strides  of  his  new-born 
aspirations  led  toward  the  front  to  meet  the  enemies  of  his 
country.  A  little  more  industry  and  sincerity,  added  to  a 
reasonable  conception  of  the  rights  and  worth  of  the  officers 
and  men  under  him,  would  have  placed  upon  his  brow  an  un 
fading  wreath. 

When  the  clamors  of  the  War  Department  made  speedy 


28  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

organizations  necessary,  it  became  certain  that  no  more  time 
would  be  allowed  to  recruit  the  multitude  of  nominal  com 
panies.  Consolidation  of  the  various  fragments  into  ten 
complete  companies  appeared  to  be,  and  probably  was,  the 
only  feasible  expedient  if  the  men  were  to  be  saved  for  an 
other  regiment  of  the  Douglas  Brigade.  To  that  end  numer 
ous  combinations  and  transfers  took  place.  Thus  Company 
I  was  made  up  from  two  sections  of  recruits,  one  from  La 
Salle  and  one  from  Grundy  county,  both  having  originally 
been  intended  to  be  independent  organizations.  Both  had 
brought  to  camp  abundant  aspirants  for  commissions.  This 
consolidation  having  resulted  in  a  surplus  of  men,  a  number 
were  transferred  to  Company  D,  and  with  them  Lieutenant 
Shaw.  As  a  proper  adjustment  of  honors  in  Company  I,  the 
captaincy  was  awarded  to  La  Salle  and  the  two  lieutenants 
to  Grundy  county.  Similar  procedure,  of  which  the  above 
will  serve  as  an  illustration,  was  followed  in  many  instances, 
but  as  the  men  were  mainly  of  excellent  disposition  and  look 
ing  anxiously  for  a  chance  to  go  to  the  front,  such  shaking-up 
was  followed  by  no  unhappy  results.  New  chums  and  new 
associations  soon  replaced  the  old,  and  the  men  settled  into 
the  new  order  of  things  with  scarce  a  ripple  of  discontent. 

A  full  company  had  of  course  positions  for  but  three  line 
officers,  and  up  to  the  period  referred  to  each  fragment  had 
as  many  so  acting.  Their  ambition  had  generally  been  con 
firmed  by  the  men  through  the  forms  of  an  election.  It  fol 
lowed,  therefore,  that  the  number  of  commissioned  officers 
must  be  reduced  to  the  actual  needs  of  the  ten  full  compan 
ies.  In  some  instances  the  men,  under  the  experience  of  a 
short  term  of  camp  life,  had  real  or  supposed  reason  for  being 
dissatisfied  with  their  officers  elect.  Both  the  colonel  and 
the  lieutenant-colonel,  who  themselves  had  been  elected  to 
their  respective  positions,  had  conceived  prejudices,  justly  or 
unjustly,  against  some,  and  besides  had  favorites  who  must 
be  provided  for.  All  this  caused  a  fearful  withering  of  lau 
rels,  and  many  who  expected  to  have  their  aspirations  con 
firmed  by  commissions  were  left  without  a  titled  place  in  the 
race  for  glory.  Some  went  home  dissatisfied;  others  died 
like  heroes,  fighting  in  the  ranks.  Here  and  there  one  who 


DISAPPOINTED    ASPIRANTS.  29 

had  been  acting  as  captain  became  a  lieutenant  under  the 
new  order  of  things.  Doubtless  in  some  instances  such 
changes  worked  for  the  good  of  the  service;  in  other  cases 
great  injustice  was  done. 

At  this  time  began  an  arbitrary  system  of  transfer  and 
promotion  regardless  of  the  rules  of  the  service  or  the  rights 
of  individuals,  which  was  persistently  pursued  by  the  colonel 
during  his  entire  career,  as  best  suited  his  personal  views  and 
ends.  This  was  unutterably  unjust  and  subversive  of  subordi 
nation,  for  it  deprived  the  non-commissioned  officers  and 
privates  alike  of  the  just  right  to  promotion  within  their  own 
companies,  and  according  to  rank  and  worth.  Such  course 
being  often  actuated  by  prejudice  or  favoritism,  brought  upon 
the  perpetrator  of  the  injustice  its  righteous  penalty  of  oppo 
sition  and  unpopularity,  and  in  the  end  contributed  to  defeat 
terribly  humiliating.  Stuart  in  this  regard,  as  in  others, 
"Sowed  the  wind  and  reaped  the  whirlwind."  The  roster 
affords  no  light  as  to  the  numbers  or  names  of  the  disap 
pointed.  The  following  letter  to  the  governor  of  Illinois, 
and  taken  from  the  files  of  his  office,  is  introduced  as  the 
cotemporaneous  protest  of  an  intelligent  citizen  against  one 
of  the  many  similar  transactions  : 

POLO,  OGLE  Co.,  ILL.,  Nov.  27,  1861. 
HON.  RICHARD  YATES,  Governor  of  Illinois. 

SIR:  Permit  me  to  call  your  attention  to  a  few  facts  and  grievances 
connected  with  the  raising  and  manner  of  treatment  of  Co.  H,  55th  Reg 
iment,  under  the  command  of  Col.  David  Stuart  of  Chicago. 

The  company  was  recruited  by  the  efforts  of  Capt.  Presson  of  Com 
pany  A  of  said  regiment,  with  the  assistance  of  the  persons  who  were 
elected  for  the  commissioned  officers  of  the  company.  These  men  were 
repeatedly  told  that  they  were  to  choose  their  own  officers. 

After  recruiting  as  they  thought  85  men,  they  had  their  election  of 
officers  which  resulted  very  satisfactorily  to  the  men.  The  same  evening 
they,  or  a  part  of  the  company,  went  to  Chicago  and  went  into  Camp 
Douglas.  After  arriving  there  and  regularly  enrolling  the  men,  they  dis 
covered  that  they  had  counted  some  five  or  six  names  twice  over  —  that 
is,  they  had  some  of  the  names  down  twice.  No  exception  was  however 
made  to  this,  nor  were  the  officers  elected  ordered  out  at  any  time  after 
to  get  more  recruits  for  the  company. 

During  the  time  they  were  in  camp  making  good  proficiency  in  drill, 
the  officers  were  requested  to  procure  their  uniforms,  swords,  etc. 


30  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

But  last  week  the  captain  and  first  and  second  lieutenants  were  in 
formed  by  Col.  Stuart  that  he  was  about  to  send  for  commissions  for  the 
officers,  but  that  he  could  not  ask  for  commissions  for  any  of  them  for 
the  offices  to  which  they  had  been  elected,  and  this  after  he  had  allowed 
my  son,  the  second-lieutenant,  only  the  day  before  to  go  to  the  expense  of 
purchasing  his  sword,  belt,  sash,  etc.,  without  the  least  intimation  but  that 
he  would  need  it.  He  and  the  others  were  told  they  could  resign  or  not, 
just  as  they  chose.  Not  wishing  to  make  difficulty,  they  all  did  so. 

My  son  can  get  certificates  from  the  drill-master  and  other  officers  in 
camp  that  he  was  learning  his  duty  very  rapidly,  that  he  gave  good  sat 
isfaction  to  the  men,  and  that  they  regretted  very  much  that  he  and  the 
captain  should  be  thus  summarily  removed  from  the  offices  which  they 
had  been  elected  to  fill,  and  strangers  of  whom  they  knew  nothing  thrust 
upon  them.  The  men  were  very  much  dissatisfied  and  discouraged  by 
such  conduct  on  the  part  of  the  colonel. 

These  statements  can  be  fully  sustained.  I  respectfully  refer  you  to 
Maj.  Z.  Aplington  of  the  7th  Cavalry  regiment  in  regard  to  my  state 
ments. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

HAMILTON  NORTON, 

'  P.  M.  at  Polo. 

The  company  referred  to  in  the  foregoing  letter  is  an  ex 
ample,  though  by  no  means  the  only  one,  of  the  injustice 
complained  of.  While  the  officers  placed  over  it  were  good 
ones,  and  demonstrated  that  fact  to  the  extent  of  death  and 
wounds  upon  the  battle-field,  it  was  nevertheless  true  that 
others  equally  deserving  and  without  doubt  as  competent, 
and  who  were  in  the  line  of  promotion,  were  deprived 
of  what  was  fairly  due  to  them.  The  history  of  that  superb 
company,  F,  affords  another  instance  of  the  wrong  practiced 
again  and  again.  After  the  resignation  of  its  first  captain 
to  become  chaplain,  the  next  three  captains  were  success 
ively  translated  from  other  companies,  and  its  first  orderly 
sergeant,  an  excellent  soldier,  died  in  1863  still  wearing  the 
stripes  of  his  lowly  rank.  It  is  to  the  great  glory  of  the 
men  that  while  largely  deprived  of  the  just  meed  of  good 
soldiers  —  the  right  of  promotion  in  the  line  of  duty  —  they 
did  not  become  demoralized,  although  keenly  appreciating 
the  insult.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  when  they  were  called 
upon  to  re-enlist,  the  few  war-worn  veterans  remaining 
exacted  the  right  to  elect  their  own  officers? 


RUNNING  THE   GUARD.  31 

In  the  early  days  of  the  war  railroads  were  not  so  all-pre 
vailing  and  travel  so  common  as  in  these  days  of  universal 
pilgrimage.  It  is  not  likely  that  one  in  ten  of  the  denizens 
of  Camp  Douglas  had,  previous  to  their  arrival  there,  ever 
seen  Chicago.  Of  course  this  great  city  was  then  far  inferior 
to  its  present  imperial  proportions,  but  it  was  full  of  strange 
sights  to  these  country  recruits,  and  its  mysteries  were  dili 
gently  explored  with  an  appetite  born  of  healthy  curiosity. 
"Running  the  guard"  was  practiced  to  the  extent  possible, 
and  he  who  was  vigilant  and  faithful  when  on  duty  was 
likely  to  be  soon  doing  his  best  to  circumvent  the  comrade 
who  had  superseded  him  as  sentinel.  This  caused  a  world 
of  trouble  to  the  officers  in  charge,  and  materially  increased 
the  ranks  at  "sick  call,"  but  sooner  or  later  the  wayward 
recruit  returned  to  duty,  albeit  he  sometimes  suffered  for 
tasting  forbidden  fruit. 

As  the  cold  winter  began  to  be  felt,  ample  clothing  and 
blankets  of  the  regulation  sort  were  issued.  These  articles, 
as  well  as  all  camp  and  garrison  equipage,  were  of  good 
quality  and  sufficient  in  quantity.  Colonel  Stuart  was  justly 
given  credit  for  providing  well  for  his  regiment,  and  above 
all  took  good  care  that  no  imposition  was  practiced  upon  his 
men  in  those  days  of  shoddy.  The  beneficial  effects  of  con 
stant  drill  began  to  be  visible  and  the  ranks  to  assume  the 
steady  appearance  always  characteristic  of  the  regiment. 
The  uncouth,  militia  awkwardness,  so  ridiculous  when 
recruits  first  attempt  combined  movements,  began  to  disap 
pear.  The  boisterous,  country  greenhorn  began  to  lose  his 
aggressive  individuality  ;  and  in  his  place  stood  erect  and 
soldierly,  the  elastic  and  self-reliant  American  volunteer, 
never  better  personified  than  in  the  ranks  of  the  Fifty-fifth 
Illinois  Infantry.  During  the  occupancy  of  this  camp,  the 
colleagues  of  the  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  employ  of  the 
Illinois  Central  railroad  presented  him  with  an  elegant 
sword.  Speeches  of  the  most  complimentary  kind  were 
made,  and  the  whole  ceremony  tended  to  show  that  he  was 
held  in  high  esteem  by  his  former  associates.  Many  other 
officers  of  the  regiment  had  a  similar  emblem  of  respect 
which  had  been  presented  to  them  with  grandiloquent 


32  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

expressions  of  good  will,  and  which  had  been  received 
blushingly  with  the  stereotyped  promise  "  not  to  surrender 
it  to  a  perfidious  foe."  These,  together  with  the  flags  before 
mentioned,  were  about  the  most  useless  trumpery  which 
encumbered  the  early  days  of  the  war. 

So  much  as  precedes,  it  has  seemed  necessary  to  say 
about  the  Fifty-fifth  in  its  formative  period.  The  details  are 
not  tragic,  but  such  as  they  are  they  have  been  gathered  with 
infinite  labor  because  no  record  existed.  Although  this  pro 
saic  period  was  soon  forgotten  in  the  battle-born  events 
which  followed,  the  epoch  of  organization  gave  tone  to  both 
fortunate  and  unfortunate  circumstances  thereafter.  Doubt 
less  as  these  pages  are  read  by  the  dimmed  eyes  of  the 
veterans  for  whom  they  are  written,  many  other  incidents 
will  be  recalled  and  regrets  expressed  that  they  too  are  not 
related  ;  but  a  moment's  reflection  will  convince  all  that 
twenty-five  years  of  the  hurly-burly  of  life  must  have  be 
numbed  the  memory  of  the  writer  as  well  as  that  of  others. 
The  characterizations  expressed  have  not  been  made  thought 
lessly,  and  are  fully  justified  by  the  facts.  Any  objection  to 
such  opinions  from  an  honest  difference  can  be  readily  under 
stood.  Any  captious  complaint  emanating  from  sickly  senti 
mentality  need  not  be  deferred  to. 

The  following  appears  in  the  Chicago  Tribune  of  Dec.  gth, 
and  is  well  worth  preserving  here,  because  a  complete  roster 
of  the  officers  and  the  strength  of  the  companies  are  given. 
A  pride  in  the  compliments  therein  expressed  is  excusable, 
because  they  were  deserved,  and  praise,  if  fairly  earned,  is 
both  palatable  and  proper  : 

The  Second  Regiment  Douglas  Brigade,  55th  111.  Vols.,  Col.  Stuart 
commanding,  will  leave  Camp  Douglas  this  afternoon  for  St.  Louis,  in 
pursuance  of  orders  received  last  week.  The  general  marching  order 
was  issued  by  Col.  Stuart  on  Friday,  as  it  was  expected  that  the  regiment 
would  leave  Saturday  P.  M.  Unavoidable  delays,  however,  rendered  the 
execution  of  the  order  impossible,  and  the  departure  was  deferred  till 
today. 

The  second  regiment  of  the  brigade  was  organized  on  the  3ist  of 
October,  and  numbers  961  men.  The  men  are  mainly  from  the  rural  por 
tions  of  the  state,  and  splendid  samples  of  the  soldier,  mentally  and  phys 
ically  ;  they  are  thoroughly  drilled  except  in  the  manual  of  arms.  Short 


ROSTER    OF    OFFICERS.  33 

time,  however,  will  elapse,  once  having  obtained  arms,  before  they  will 
prove  efficient. 

The  regiment  is  thoroughly  equipped,  handsomely  and  durably  uni 
formed,  and  takes  with  it  a  full  and  excellent  regimental  band.  In  the 
elements  which  make  up  a  perfect  regiment,  both  physically,  intellectually 
and  morally,  they  are  excelled  by  no  regiment  in  service,  and  will  prove 
an  honor  to  the  state.  The  following  is  a  complete  roster  of  the  regi 
ment  : 

Colonel — David  Stuart. 

Lieutenant-colonel—  Oscar  Malmborg. 

Major — W.  Dennison  Sanger. 

Adjutant — George  L.  Thurston. 

Quartermaster — Henry  W.  Janes. 

Surgeon — E.  O.  F.  Roler. 

Chaplain — L.  P.  Crouch. 

Company  A. — Capt.  Wm.  A.  Presson,  ist  Lieut.  Jacob  Augustine,  2d 
Lieut.  Casper  Schleich  ;  100  men. 

Company  B. — Capt.  Thomas  B.  Mackey,  ist  Lieut.  Albert  F.  Merrill, 
2d  Lieut.  Asahel  C.  Smith  ;  95  men, 

Company  C— Capt.  R.  A.  Bird,  ist  Lieut.  D,  Mclntosh,  2d  Lieut.  S.  A. 
Wright ;  95  men. 

Company  D. — Capt.  T.  C.  Chandler,  ist  Lieut  F.  H.  Shaw,  2d  Lieut. 
W.  S.  Johnson  ;  99  men. 

Company  E. — Capt.  Charles  E.  Tazewell,  ist  Lieut.  Wm.  H.  Dixon,  2d 
Lieut.  Wm.  B.  Halligan  ;  87  men. 

Company  F, — Capt.  Milton  L.  Haney,  ist  Lieut.  Harrison  Presson,  2d 
Lieut.  Jos.  W.  Parks  ;  105  men. 

Company  G. — Capt.  Joseph  Clay,  ist  Lieut.  C.  M.  Brown,  2d  Lieut.  A. 
A.  Whipple  ;  89  men. 

Company  H. — Capt.  Jas.  J.  Heffernan,  ist  Lieut.  James  Weldon,  2d 
Lieut.  T.  B.  Burrows  ;  86  men. 

Company  I. — Capt.  Jabez  C.  Crooker,  ist  Lieut.  Philip  Seelbach,  2d 
Lieut,  Timothy  Slattery  ;  103  men. 

Company  K. — Capt.  Joseph  Black,  ist  Lieut.  Benj.  C.  Swartz,  2d  Lieut. 
Andrew  J.  Gillett ;  98  men, 

The  receipt  of  the  order  to  move  caused  great  rejoicing  among  the 
"boys,"  who  have  long  been  in  readiness  and  anxious  to  leave  the  tedious 
routine  of  camp  life  for  the  more  active  duties  of  the  field.  Uniforms 
were  cleaned,  belts  pipe-clayed,  and  knapsacks  were  filled.  Every  man 
was  on  the  qui  vive  to  say  good-bye  to  Camp  Douglas  and  start  for  the 
wars. 

In  the  forenoon  of  December  9th,  1861,  a  goodly  array  of 
men  marching  in  perfect  cadence  emerged  from  the  gateway 
of  Camp  Douglas.  They  numbered  somewhat  more  than 
nine  hundred,  and  were  splendid  food  for  powder.  This  was 


34  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

a  Western  volunteer  regiment  passing  from  the  romance  of 
war  into  its  realities.  It  was  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  on  its 
way  to  the  front.  They  were  the  same  men  who  in  a  few 
months  were  to  stand  upon  the  disgarnished  left  at  Shiloh 
and  give  back  war-cry  for  war-cry  and  bullet  for  bullet  until 
half  their  number  were  killed  and  wounded.  At  the  head  of 
the  column  rode  their  colonel  decked  in  the  honorable  trap 
pings  of  his  rank,  proud  of  his  success,  proud  of  his  regiment- 
as  he  had  a  right  to  be.  It  was  a  triumphal  march  for  him, 
in  which  each  man  in  the  ranks  performed  an  honorable  part 
and  had  a  humble  share.  The  route  was  down  Michigan 
Avenue,  then  a  fashionable  quarter,  and  through  the  main 
business  streets  of  Chicago.  From  time  to  time  the  order  of 
march  was  changed  from  the  flank  to  platoon  or  company 
front,  as  was  proper  to  give  rest  to  the  soldiers  or  display  their 
evolutions.  The  day  was  bright  and  lovely.  The  bearing  of 
the  men  and  officers  was  superb,  and  the  uniforms  neat, and 
new  and  rounded  to  the  outlines  of  manly  symmetry  by  the 
muscular  forms  which  wore  them.  The  sight  was  impressive, 
and  upon  every  pavement  and  street  corner  throngs  of  patri 
otic  citizens  joined  in  hearty  applause.  A  large  escort  from 
the  various  organizations  recruiting  in  Camp  Douglas  added 
to  the  splendid  proportions  of  the  procession.  The  Chicago 
Tribune  of  December  loth,  gave  the  following  account,  which 
includes  many  details  of  which  no  other  record  exists  :— 

GRAND   MILITARY   OVATION. 

The  departure  of  the  second  regiment  of  the  Douglas  Brigade,  Col. 
Stuart  commanding,  from  this  city  to  St.  Louis,  yesterday  afternoon,  was 
made  the  occasion  of  a  brilliant  military  spectacle  witnessed  by  thou 
sands  of  spectators  and  creating  a  degree  of  enthusiasm  unparalleled  in 
the  military  history  of  the  city. 

The  regiment  left  Camp  Douglas  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon, 
escorted  by  a  detachment  of  Col.  Bracken's  cavalry  ;  the  Mechanic  Fusi- 
leers,  Col.  Wilson  ;  the  Princeton  regiment,  Maj.  N.  B.  Page  ;  the  Lead 
Mine  regiment,  Col.  Smith  ;  the  Chicago  Legion,  Col.  Cummings  ;  the 
National  Guard,  Col.  Baldwin  ;  Hartman  Dragoons,  Maj.  Hartman  ;  Lyon 
Color  Guard,  Capt.  Kurth.  Headed  by  this  escort,  numbering  nearly  four 
thousand  men,  the  regiment  marched  through  the  principal  streets  of  the 
city,  receiving  warm  applause  from  the  spectators  who  thronged  the  side 
walks,  and  swarmed  in  windows,  and  crowded  housetops.  As  the  escort 
passed  the  Tribune  office  the  spectacle  was  unusually  brilliant.  Hand- 


DEPARTURE    FROM    CHICAGO.  35 

kerchiefs  fluttered  from  the  windows  of  the  Sherman  House  like  doves. 
The  air  was  fairly  resonant  with  the  manual  applause  of  the  eager  and 
enthusiastic  crowds.  The  appearance  of  each  new  regiment,  with  its 
regimental  band,  drum  corps  and  banners,  was  the  signal  for  cheers 
which  culminated  in  a  hearty  and  unanimous  burst  of  applause,  typical 
of  admiration. 

Good  wishes  and  good-byes  followed,  as  the  gallant  regiment,  with 
drums  beating,  colors  flying,  knapsacks  on  back,  marched  by  with  a 
steady,  firm  step  and  closed  up  ranks.  Every  one  noted  the  genuine 
martial  bearing  and  elastic,  dashing  air  which  marked  every  company  in 
the'corps.  We  have  previously  in  these  columns  given  full  details  of  the 
equipment,  growth  and  organization  of  this  regiment.  It  is  now  sufficient 
merely  to  add  that  the  uniforms  and  other  equipments  are  of  the  very 
best  quality,  and  finished  in  a  serviceable  and  durable  manner  ;  that  the 
ranks  are  most  proficient  in  drill  and  camp  duties,  and  that  the  men  are 
stout,  able-bodied  and  hardy,  recruited  as  they  are  from  the  ranks  of  the 
farmers  and  working  men  of  the  state. 

It  is  but  justice  to  say  of  Col.  Stuart  that  in  the  successful  organiza 
tion  of  the  two  regiments  of  the  Douglas  Brigade,  which  is  mainly  due 
to  his  personal  exertions,  involving  much  labor  and  expense,  he  has  per 
formed  a  highly  patriotic  service  for  which  he  is  entitled  to  the  thanks  of 
his  fellow-citizens. 

In  the  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  regiment,  Mr.  Oscar  Malmborg,  who, 
during  the  absence  of  Col.  Stuart  in  Missouri  with  the  ist  regiment  of  the 
brigade,  had  charge  of  the  organization  of  the  3d  regiment,  we  are  quite 
sure  our  citizens  will  be  glad  to  know  we  have  an  officer  with  a  thorough 
military  training.  Lieut.-Col.  Malmborg  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  graduated 
at  the  Swedish  Military  Academy  at  Stockholm  after  six  years'  study,  and 
served  eight  years  in  the  Swedish  army.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Mexican  war  he  came  to  this  country  to  tender  his  services  to  our  gov 
ernment,  when  finding  himself  embarrassed  from  not  readily  speaking 
our  language,  he  volunteered  as  a  private  in  the  artillery  corps,  and  served 
twenty-one  months  at  Fort  Brown  on  the  Rio  Grande  —  a  position  which, 
much  to  his  chagrin,  withheld  him  from  more  active  service  in  the  field. 
He  is  a  cultivated  gentleman  of  high  honor  and  integrity,  and  a  more 
thoroughly  loyal  man  has  not  drawn  his  sword  in  defence  of  our  cause. 

Among  the  company  officers  and  in  the  ranks  are  two  or  three  minis 
ters  and  several  exhorters,  and  one  captain  has  personally  recruited  and 
brought  into  the  regiment  350  men.  During  their  sojourn  in  Camp  Doug 
las  they  have  held  their  prayer-meetings  and  other  religious  services 
regularly,  and  have  exercised  a  marked  influence  upon  the  morals  and 
discipline  of  the  corps.  The  men  have  been  recruited  mainly  from  our 
rural  population,  and  have  entered  the  contest  from  a  high  sense  of  duty, 
not  only  to  maintain  the  laws  and  to  defend  and  perpetuate  the  Union, 
but  from  a  deep  conviction  that  under  Providence  they  are  to  be  instru 
mental  in  washing  out  a  great  national  sin  ;  and  with  their  prayers  upon 
their  lips  they  are  ready  to  do  and  die. 


36  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

The  foregoing,  written  with  the  free  hand  of  a  newspaper 
reporter,  is  especially  valuable  as  giving  the  only  account 
attainable  of  the  previous  history  of  the  lieutenant-colonel. 
That  it  is  so  elaborate,  is  sufficient  evidence  that  the  victim 
gracefully  submitted  to  the  process  of  being  interviewed.  In 
his  former  lack  of  knowledge  of  the  English  language,  and 
his  unfortunate  suppression  in  garrison  upon  the  Rio  Grande, 
it  is  possible  that  we  have  found  the  reason  why  the  Mexican 
war  lasted  so  long. 

It  may  be  interesting  for  a  moment  to  refer  to  the  differ 
ent  organizations  acting  as  an  escort  on  this  occasion. 
Colonel  Brackett's  cavalry  alluded  to  became  the  Ninth 
Illinois  Cavalry,  while  the  Princeton  regiment  and  the  Na 
tional  Guards  were  consolidated  to  make  the  Fifty-seventh 
Illinois  Infantry.  Major  Page  died  gallantly  at  its  head  about 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  to  the  right  rear  of  the  Fifty-fifth  at 
Shiloh.  Colonel  Baldwin  became  commander  of  the  regi 
ment,  and  after  commanding  a  brigade  at  Corinth  was 
cashiered  for  various  offences.  The  Lead  Mine  Regiment 
became  the  famous  Forty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  its 
colonel  the  reliable  Major-General  John  E.  Smith,  now  upon 
the  retired  list  of  the  regular  army. 

While  the  Ffty-fifth  marches  along  the  streets  of  Chicago 
toward  the  railroad  station,  it  may  be  proper  to  review  some 
of  the  peculiarities  of  its  make-up.  It  had,  perhaps,  less 
local  sentiment  clinging  to  it  than  any  like  organization 
which  left  the  state  in  those  warlike  times.  It  represented 
no  one  county  or  district  as  was  usual  ;  but  its  elements  had 
been  gathered  from  almost  all  northern  Illinois.  At  the 
same  time  the  feeling  in  Chicago  against  its  colonel  pre 
vented  any  great  display  of  pride  in  it  as  representing  that 
city.  It  was  never,  therefore,  the  especial  object  of  neigh 
borhood  sympathy,  and  had  no  local  historians  to  embalm 
its  deeds  in  the  florid  newspaper  literature  of  that  clay. 
When  a  great  battle  came  and  the  Fifty-fifth  contributed  its 
best  blood,  as  it  often  did,  there  were  scarce  any  two  sorrow 
ing  mothers  at  home  near  enough  together  to  mingle  their 
tears.  In  this  may  be  found  the  principal  reasons  why 
the  traditions  of  this  regiment  are  so  widely  scattered  and 


SELECTION    OF    OFFICERS.  37 

so  poorly  preserved.  Company  A  was  mainly  from  Fulton 
County  ;  B  from  Ogle  and  De  Kalb  ;  C  from  Winnebago  ; 
D  from  Fulton  ;  E  from  Kane  and  Du  Page  ;  F  from 
McDonough  ;  G  from  LaSalle  and  McDonough  ;  H  from 
Ogle  ;  I  from  LaSalle  and  Grundy  ;  and  K  from  Knox. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  regiment  had  within  its  line 
considerable  bodies  of  recruits  from  nine  different  counties, 
and  each  company  had  also  men  from  contiguous  territory, 
some  having  been  drawn  even  from  neighboring  states. 
Upon  the  original  rolls  of  Company  B  are  found  twelve 
names  set  down  as  enlisting  at  Marysville,  Ky.  Some 
recruits,  and  not  generally  of  the  best  quality,  had  been 
acquired  around  Chicago.  The  transfers  before  alluded  to 
had  contributed  much  to  the  mixed  character  of  the  different 
companies. 

Fully  one-third  of  the  officers  had  been  selected  from 
strangers  outside  the  regiment,  or  had  been  summarily  trans 
ferred  from  one  company  to  another,  to  suit  the  peculiar 
views  of  the  commanding  officer.  The  men  were  cheerfully 
granted  the  right  to  express  their  wishes  through  the  usual 
election;  but  such  election  never  had  any  particular  force  in 
deciding  who  should  ultimately  occupy  the  place.  The  regi 
mental  commissioned  and  non-commissioned  staff,  as  well  as 
the  headquarters  clerical  force,  had  been  selected  by  Stuart, 
as  he  had  a  right  to  do,  and  were  mainly  from  Chicago. 
They  embraced  such  names  as  Roler,  Janes,  Thurston,  Mc- 
Auley,  Fisher  and  Nourse,  and  were  all  young  men  and  effi 
cient  officers  of  good  business  attainments,  who  earned  fre 
quent  promotion.  Of  the  forty  field  and  line  officers  and 
non-commissioned  staff  but  two  were  natives  of  Illinois,  a 
fact  then  not  singular,  considering  the  newness  of  the  state. 
As  near  as  it  can  be  ascertained  from  the  roster,  five  were 
Irishmen,  two  were  Germans,  one  an  Englishman  and  one  a 
Swede.  The  colors  were  borne  aloft  by  a  huge  sergeant  six 
and  one-half  feet  in  height,  who  soon  succumbed  to  the 
toil  of  actual  service,  and  demonstrated  that  usefulness  in 
the  field  was  not  measured  by  either  length  or  breadth. 

The  line  of  march  terminated  at  the  Chicago  and  Alton 
Railroad  station.  Ample  provisions  had  been  furnished  by  the 


38  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

good  citizens,  and  were  distributed  under  the  management  of 
the  over-worked  commissary  sergeant.  A  feast  was  given  to 
the  officers  at  a  hotel,  while  the  rank  and  file,  happy  in  start 
ing  towards  the  front,  were  contented  with  sandwiches  and 
coffee.  The  march  from  Camp  Douglas  to  the  station  was 
orderly  and  creditable,  though  here  and  there  a  wayward  re 
cruit  fell  by  the  wayside.  Such  were  not  lost,  however, 
though  they  had  fallen,  for  wagons  had  been  kindly  provided 
for  just  such  an  emergency,  and  a  lenient  police  assisted  the 
weary,  who  arrived  in  due  time.  During  the  day  the  baggage 
had  been  loaded,  and  towards  evening  two  trains  of  cars  de 
parted  for  St.  Louis,  bearing  with  them  the  Fifty-fifth  to  take 
its  part  in  the  thrilling  events  which  soon  followed.  About 
fifty,  mainly  sick  with  the  measles,  were  left  in  Chicago. 

The  journey  was  devoid  of  incident,  at  least  so  far  as  can 
now  be  recalled.  At  Alton  the  regiment  embarked  upon  the 
steamer  David  Tatum,  for  St.  Louis,  and  towards  night-fall 
landed  at  the  levee.  A  march  of  four  or  five  miles  after  dark 
brought  the  tired  column  within  the  limits  of  "  Camp  Bcnton," 
or  "Benton  Barracks,"  the  place  of  rendezvous  and  instruc 
tion  for  a  month  to  come.  The  barracks  were  reached  about 
eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  December  I  ith,  and  during  the 
night  the  baggage  arrived  in  charge  of  the  quartermaster  and 
the  customary  details.  In  the  morning  the  camp  was  aroused 
by  the  notes  of  the  wonderful  Indian  bugler  who  attended  to 
that  sonorous  duty,  and  the  newly  arrived  Illinoisans  stepped 
into  line  for  roll-call  and  gazed  for  the  first  time  upon  this 
notable  camp-ground.  The  quarters  consisted  of  numerous 
barn-like  structures,  surrounding  a  square  of  huge  propor 
tions  used  as  a  drill  and  parade  ground.  Each  company  had 
a  room  built  of  unpaintcd,  rough  boards,  unbattened,  and 
there  was  nothing  about  these  apartments  to  interfere  with 
the  biblical  assertion  that  "the  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth." 
The  dimensions  were  ample,  and  a  huge  stove  in  each  room 
supplied  a  reasonable  degree  of  warmth.  Tiers  of  rough 
bunks  and  scanty  blankets,  with  straw,  furnished  sleeping 
accommodations,  and  feather  beds  and  white  sheets  are  not 
remembered  as  entering  into  the  comforts  of  this  epoch. 

The  Fifty-fifth  immediately  began  a  severe  course  of  com- 


GENERAL    SHERMAN    APPEARS.  39 

pany  and  battalion  drill,  under  the  chief  direction  of  'the 
industrious  but  mercurial  lieutenant-colonel,  while  the  colonel, 
although  seeming  anxious  that  the  regiment  should  succeed, 
did  not  appear  to  take  much  part  in  either  teaching  or  learn 
ing.  Schools  and  classes  for  officers  were  established  in 
order  that  they  might  acquire  knowledge  in  advance,  to  be 
transmitted  in  due  time  to  the  common  soldiers,  who  some 
times  thought  that  the  second-hand  knowledge  thus  acquired 
had  suffered  serious  dilution  in  course  of  transmission.  The 
weather  was  clear  and  cold,  alternating  with  rains,  which  with 
the  ceaseless  marching  to  and  fro,  reduced  the  parade  ground 
to  a  sea  of  mud.  Considerable  sickness  prevailed  of  the 
usual  camp  character,  but  taken  all  in  all  the  experience  at 
Bcnton  Barracks  was  neither  unprofitable  nor  altogether  un 
pleasant.  The  privations  which  soon  followed  made  its  little 
hardships  seem  like  luxuries.  There  were  about  eighteen 
thousand  men  in  the  camp  and  vicinity,  all  pursuing  the 
methodical  routine  of  camp,  and  trying  to  acquire  the  tech 
nical  rules  laid  down  in  "Hardee,"  by  which  sign  it  was  then 
expected  to  conquer.  The  department  was  under  the  com 
mand  of  General  Halleck,  who  was  just  beginning  to  bring 
order  out  of  the  chaos  of  corruption  and  confusion  left  by 
General  Fremont. 

Soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  Fifty-fifth  at  Benton  Barracks, 
there  appeared  an  unassuming  individual  dressed  in  plain 
clothes  and  wearing  a  black  slouch  hat,  and  neither  clothes 
nor  hat  were  new.  He  wore  no  insignia  of  rank  other  than 
a  row  of  gilt  buttons  upon  the  coat,  and  his  quiet,  alert 
movements  at  first  excited  no  attention  beyond  an  occasional 
inquiry  as  to  what  chaplain  that  was.  It  soon  appeared  that 
this  was  one  Brigadier-General  Sherman,  recently  placed  in 
command  of  the  camp.  Of  course  he  was  then  gazed  at 
with  a  wild  eyed  wonder,  for  at  that  time  few  in  the  regiment 
had  seen  a  real  general,  and  this  one  with  his  lack  of  fuss 
and  feathers,  who  bestrode  no  war  horse  and  bellowed  no 
commands,  scarce  came  up  to  the  ideal  standard  of  romantic 
volunteers.  He  did  not  even  swear  within  the  hearing  of 
the  soldiers,  and  altogether  there  was  a  lack  of  pomposity 
and  ferocity  at  variance  with  tradition.  It  was  rumored  that 


4°  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

he  was  crazy,  and  it  was  only  known  that  he  was  a  regular- 
army  officer  who  had  been  relieved  from  a  command  in  Ken 
tucky  and  had  been  placed  over  this  camp  of  instruction. 
There  was  a  vigilance,  a  nervous  decisiveness  about  his  move 
ments  and  speech  that  was  at  once  felt  to  the  uttermost  parts 
of  the  enclosure.  Good  order  and  correct  discipline  followed, 
and  all  troops  there  or  thereabouts  soon  learned  to  appre 
ciate  the  master  mind.  To  the  acute  and  observing  young 
soldiers  no  mental  obliquities  were  apparent,  and  the 
madness,  if  there  at  all,  had  a  beautiful  method  in  it.  This 
same  lunatic,  William  Tecumseh  Sherman,  the  Fifty-fifth 
followed  to  the  end  of  the  war.  From  Benton  Barracks  to 
the  Grand  Review  was  a  long  and  arduous  journey.  Along 
the  bloody  route,  campaigns  were  episodes  and  great  battles 
mile-stones.  It  was  a  lurid  pathway  through  many  rebellious 
states,  but  the  Fifty-fifth  followed  the  plume  of  "  Uncle 
Billy  "  until  the  end  came.  No  other  organization  staid  with 
him  and  near  him  so  long.  From  the  time  he  was  "  Crazy 
Sherman  "  until  the  greenest  laurels  of  the  nineteenth  century 
were  placed  upon  his  brow,  this  regiment  followed  his  foot 
steps  in  each  particular  organization  commanded  by  him  in 
every  instance,  except  the  Meridian  raid. 

During  the  interval  spent  at  this  post  the  Fifty-fifth  took 
part  in  its  first  brigade  drill,  under  command  of  Gen.  Stephen 
A.  Hurlbut  of  Illinois,  who  had  recently  been  relieved  from 
a  command  in  Missouri.  Rumors  were  flying  about  of  his 
previous  bad  conduct,  drunkenness  and  the  like,  but  nothing 
to  his  discredit  appeared  at  this  time.  As  we  shall  see  later, 
he  commanded  the  celebrated  Fourth  division  at  Shiloh,  and 
brought  it  through  in  better  shape  and  better  organized 
than  any  division  engaged  in  the  terrible  first  day's  battle, 
and  thereafter  made  a  report  which  stands  at  the  head  of 
the  literature  of  the  engagement.  On  December  2ist,  new 
clothing  was  issued,  and  the  regiment  was  as  well  equipped 
and  clothed  as  any  body  of  men  in  the  service. 

Up  to  this  time  no  arms  had  been  drawn,  and  the  officers 
and  men  had  devoted  their  entire  attention  to  squad, 
company  and  battalion  drill.  No  time  had  in  consequence 
been  expended  in  the  more  romantic  motions  of  killing 


THE    REGIMENT    ARMED.  4! 

people.  It  is  now  apparent  that  this  long  interval  of  military 
training  without  manual  exercises  was  of  incalculable  benefit 
to  the  men  as  a  whole.  It  was  this  unremitting  practice 
which  resulted  in  steadiness,  and  forever  after  made  the 
regiment  practically  panic  proof.  At  the  time  spoken  of, 
however,  the  philosophy  of  this  was  not  well  enough 
appreciated  to  reconcile  the  men  to  the  monotony  of  weary 
marching  to  and  fro,  and  they  had  long  clamored  for  the 
weapons  of  death.  At  last  the  day  so  long  impatiently 
waited  for  came.  The  regiment  in  a  high  state  of  expectancy 
marched  to  the  U.  S.  Arsenal  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city, 
and  each  soldier  took  a  gwn  from  the  immense  quantity  there 
stored,  when  the  march  was  resumed  to  camp.  For  months 
these  fiery  patriots  had  longed  for  guns  which  would  make 
them  soldiers  indeed.  They  had  coaxed,  grumbled,  swore 
and  howled  after  the  manner  of  Western  volunteers  for 
deadly  rifles  and  glittering  bayonets,  and  now  the  wish  was 
gratified,  but  only  in  theory. 

Language  fails  when  attempting  to  describe  the  grotesque 
worthlessness  of  these  so-called  arms.  They  were  of  foreign 
make  having  scarcely  the  similitude  of  guns,  and  had  been 
purchased  at  great  cost  during  the  reckless  administration  of 
Fremont.  No  excuse  could  exist  for  such  a  purchase,  for 
they  were  too  crude  in  construction  to  be  deceptive.  A  bare 
glance  ought  to  have  convinced  any  one  of  their  sham 
character.  It  would  have  been  a  wild  freak  of  imagination 
to  have  called  these  things  deadly  weapons,  for  they  could 
not  by  any  possibility  injure  any  one  but  the  user  and 
his  immediate  neighbors.  Many  of  the  tubes  were  of  solid 
metal,  while  in  other  cases  tube,  cylinder  and  all  would 
disappear  at  the  first  fire.  Often  times  they  could  not  be 
discharged  at  all,  and  again  would  persist  in  exploding, 
regardless  of  time  or  place.  The  first  trial  volley  fired  into 
the  woods  back  of  Benton  Barracks  disabled  dozens  of  guns 
and  some  men.  The  records  of  the  War  Department  show 
that  the  reign  of  Fremont  was  a  carnival  of  corruption,  and 
that  fact  was  never  better  exemplified  than  in  the  pot-metal 
effigies  carried  back  to  camp  by  this  tired  and  disgusted 
regiment  in  place  of  the  long  anticipated  "revolvers."  The 


42  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

air  was  fairly  sulphurous  with  gorgeous  profanity  uttered  in 
the  effort  to  do  justice  to  the  occasion.  It  is  said  that  the 
"Armies  swore  terribly  in  Flanders,"  but  if  the  blasphemy 
used  on  that  occasion  exceeded  in  quantity  or  quality  that 
used  by  the  Fifty-fifth,  it  was  because  language  was  more 
flexible  in  those  days  than  in  the  early  days  of  the  rebellion. 
All  the  glorious  dreams  of  romantic  sharpshooting  disap 
peared  instantly,  and  a  feeling  of  intense  disgust,  expressed 
in  howls  of  uproarious  protest,  swept  through  the  regiment. 
The  whole  length  of  the  barracks  was  continually  echoing 
with  cries  of  "  Here's  your  d—  —  d  sanctified  Methodist 
revolver  !"  having  scornful  reference  to  the  promises  of  the 
reverend  recruiting  officers  before  referred  to.  Whenever  it 
became  necessary  to  carry  the  guns  upon  parade  or  guard, 
the  indignant  volunteer  was  heard  to  casually  remark,  "Here 
goes  another  sanctified  Methodist  sharpshooter."  It  was 
likewise  insisted  with  many  rhetorical  embellishments  that 
the  man  who  shot  the  gun  was  the  "  revolver,"  which  was 
often  true,  for  the  recoil  when  the  doubtful  explosion  did 
take  place  was  terrific.  One  exasperated  soldier,  afterward 
a  valuable  officer  in  the  regiment,  proposed  to  seek  relief  at 
high  quarters  and  appealed  directly  to  Governor  Yates.  His 
letter  is  so  vigorous  and  so  thoroughly  good  that  its  discovery 
is  considered  fortunate,  and  it  is  given  in  full: 

CAMP  BENTON,  January  5,  1862. 
GOVERNOR  YATES. 

HON.  SIR  :  I  saw  in  today's  paper  that  you  had  procured  eighteen 
thousand  stand  of  arms,  six  thousand  of  which  were  to  be  distributed 
among  Illinois  troops  which  have  inferior  arms.  Thinking  our  arms  as 
inferior  as  any  to  be  found,  I  thought  it  might  avail  us  something  by  writ 
ing  you.  The  men  would  have  as  much  faith  in  killing  secesh  with  alder 
pop-guns  as  they  would  with  the  guns  they  have.  If  you  wish  your  best 
Illinois  men  killed  off  by  not  having  guns  to  defend  themselves  with,  let 
us  go  as  we  are.  If  not,  please  provide  us  with  good  guns  —  that  is,  if 
we  are  not  out  of  your  jurisdiction.  For  God's  sake  remember  us  in 
mercy,  for  the  men  cannot  and  will  not  fight  with  such  guns.  It  is  impos 
sible;  they  have  no  faith  in  them.  They  would  surrender  before  they 
would  fight.  We  were  enlisted  under  the  pretence  that  we  would  have 
revolving  rifles.  Since  we  cannot  get  them,  all  we  ask  is  good  single  bar 
reled  guns,  and  we  promise  you  (if  occasion  permits)  as  good  fighting  as 
can  be  done.  I  am  respectfully  yours, 

H.  H.  KENDRICK,  Scrgt.  Co.  Kt  jjM  ///.  Voh. 


MARCHING    ORDERS.  43 

This  trustful  and  beseeching  epistle  does  not  appear'  to 
have  had  any  effect,  although  boldly  signed  by  a  sergeant. 
It  was  of  course  impossible  to  compel  or  induce  the  men  to 
take  any  care  of  such  unspeakably  worthless  arms,  and  they 
were  thrown  about  and  thrown  away  until  replaced  by  others 
which,  although  not  "revolvers,"  were  satisfactory. 

While  here  Colonels  Stuart  and  Malmborg,  and  some 
other  officers,  had  their  sabres  ground  so  as  to  be  prepared 
for  future  emergencies.  The  report  for  the  closing  month 
of  the  year  shows  an  aggregate  of  988  upon  the  muster 
rolls,  of  whom  53  present  and  26  absent  were  sick.  W.  H. 
Howe,  commonly  called  "  Waukegan,"  joined  the  regiment  as 
principal  musician  at  Benton  Barracks,  and  while  it  is  not 
probable  that  his  mellifluous  fife  did  as  much  towards  sup 
pressing  the  rebellion  as  he  sometimes  thought,  the  good 
which  he  did  lived  after  him,  for  his  little  son,  Orion,  became 
the  pet  hero  of  the  war. 

During  all  this  time  events  were  shaping  towards  impor 
tant  results.  Whatever  may  be  said  of  General  Halleck's 
timid  and  inefficient  conduct  in  the  actual  presence  of  the 
enemy,  there  cannot  fairly  be  denied  him  certain  powers  of 
organization  and  efforts  at  grand  strategy  which  resulted  in 
the  concentration  of  magnificent  armies  and  the  delivery  of 
well  aimed  blows.  As  the  symptoms  of  approaching  cam 
paigns  began  to  appear,  no  regiment  was  more  anxious  to  get 
at  its  bloody  harvest  than  this  same  Fifty-fifth.  It  was  im 
bued  with  genuine  patriotism  and  entirely  weary  of  the 
monotony  of  endless  drill  and  camp  life.  Orders  were  anx 
iously  hoped  for  and  daily  expected  which  would  point  to 
the  desired  end.  They  came  on  the  afternoon  of  Sunday, 
January  I2th,  and  were  to  the  effect  that  the  Fifty-fifth  would 
embark  on  board  a  transport  on  the  next  morning  with  all 
baggage  and  three  days'  rations.  When  the  morning  of  the 
1 3th  came  the  weather  was  extremely  cold  for  that  latitude, 
the  thermometer  standing  at  about  zero,  and  the  wind  was 
penetrating.  Bright  and  early  all  equipage  was  loaded,  and 
the  regiment,  with  all  the  "pomp  and  circumstance  of  war," 
marched  from  the  barracks  through  the  city  to  the  point  of 
embarkation.  There  were  about  eight  hundred  men,  includ- 


44  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

ing  all  officers,  actually  present,  and  about  seventy  men  were 
left  sick  in  hospital.  The  entire  day  was  spent  in  loading  the 
endless  piles  of  baggage.  This  was  perfectly  characteristic 
of  the  way  of  doing  things  at  that  time.  Such  duty  was  of 
course  very  harassing  to  the  overworked  commissary  and 
quartermaster-sergeants,  who  in  this  travail  were  hoarding  up 
experience  for  after  usefulness. 

With  the  exception  of  the  details  employed  by  the  quar 
termaster,  the  troops  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  stand  idle  in 
the  ranks,  subject  to  as  much  control  as  practicable.  This 
was  intensely  disagreeable  in  the  severe  cold,  and  many  an 
unfortunate  ear  paid  painful  tribute  to  enforced  exposure. 
From  time  to  time  through  the  day  men  escaped  and  secured 
in  various  ways  quantities  of  that  soul-searching  liquid  called 
thereabouts  "Mississippi  tanglefoot,"  of  which  tradition  said 
a  small  portion  would  "kill  forty  rods  and  around  a  corner." 
About  dark  such  of  the  regiment  as  were  able  filed  on  board 
the  D.  A.  January,  and  those  who  had  fallen  were  carried, 
dragged  or  led  along,  in  any  way  that  seemed  easiest.  The 
surface  of  the  river  was  a  mass  of  floating  ice.  Everything 
about  the  boat  was  enveloped  in  a  cloud  of  steam — damp, 
cold  and  disagreeable.  The  rank  and  file  were  assigned  to 
various  places  upon  the  different  decks.  The  officers  fled 
beyond  the  howls  of  the  drunken  and  disgusted  privates,  into 
the  warmth  of  the  cabin,  to  which  shoulder-straps  alone  had 
access. 

Under  any  circumstances  the  crowding  of  eight  hundred 
men,  with  unlimited  baggage,  upon  a  boat  of  moderate  size, 
would  have  been  disagreeable.  In  the  present  instance,  with 
the  intense  cold  and  gathering  darkness,  it  resulted  in  actual 
suffering  and  privation,  all  aggravated  by  the  shrieks  and  howls 
of  hundreds  of  drunken  and  pugnacious  men.  Upon  the 
bow  of  the  boat  there  was  a  barrel  of  "commissary,"  guarded 
by  that  excellent  but  bibulous  old  soldier,  Carl  Dhelo,  of 
Company  I.  Although  ordinarily  trustworthy,  the  tempta 
tions  of  the  day  had  overcome  poor  Carl,  and  while  he  was 
calmly  sleeping  upon  one  end  of  the  barrel,  other  soldiers 
drew  off  all  its  contents  into  canteens,  which  were  quickly 
distributed  through  the  regiment,  to  the  great  confusion  of 


THE    D.  A.  JANUARY.  45 

the  quartermaster's  accounts.  The  bar  of  the  boat  had  been 
closed  by  official  order,  but  the  fat  old  chambermaid  estab 
lished  an  agency  at  the  rear,  where  vile  whisky  was  vended 
from  a  tin  wash-boiler  at  the  rate  of  a  dollar  for  a  tin  cupful. 
The  bad  men  of  Company  G,  E  and  I  in  particular  were 
especially  uproarious  and  bent  on  settling  old  scores,  and  in 
the  darkness  hit  a  head,  whether  they  could  see  it  or  not. 
Some  turned  to  vent  their  rage  upon  the  despised  guns  which 
were  piled  promiscuously  upon  the  bow  of  the  boat.  Pratt, 
a  highly  educated  but  drunken  character,  of  Company  I,  de 
liberately  put  in  his  time  in  dropping  them  overboard  one  by 
one,  until  interrupted  by  official  intervention.  That  excel 
lent  and  reliable  soldier  (afterwards  captain),  Kays,  threw 
overboard  at  least  twenty-five  of  them,  in  a  fit  of  wrath. 

Just  after  dark  the  D.  A.  January — called  later,  "Whoa 
January" — swung  loose  from  tne  levee  into  the  sea  of  ice,  and 
with  it  floated  down  the  stream.  A  paymaster  was  on  board 
and  proceeded  to  utilize  the  time  by  paying  off  the  regiment 
that  night.  The  companies,  one  by  one,  were  assembled  as 
far  as  possible,  and  taken  to  the  cabin  for  that  purpose.  The 
line  looked  as  battered  as  though  it  had  been  through  a  riot, 
and  many  a  weary  patriot  had  to  leave  his  financial  concerns 
to  his  captain.  One  end  of  the  cabin  was  devoted  to  hospi 
tal  purposes,  and  Dr.  Roler  was  kept  busy  in  patching  up  the 
injured  from  the  scrimmages  below.  The  scattering  recollec 
tions  remaining  after  an  eventful  quarter  of  a  century  cannot 
so  fairly  present  the  unpleasant  events  of  this  voyage  as  a 
well  written  cotemporaneous  account.  From  the  quite  volu 
minous  literature  of  that  character  kindly  furnished  by  the 
comrades,  the  following  letter,  written  at  the  time  by  a  well- 
known  member  of  the  regiment,  is  selected: 

******  Monday  night  and  Tuesday  we  crept  down  the  stream  at 
snail's  pace  passing  over  in  thirty  hours  seventy  miles  —  or  about  half  the 
journey  we  expected  to  finish  in  twenty  hours,  supposing  Cairo  to  be  our 
destination.  The  men,  all  this  time  exposed  more  or  less  to  cold  and 
damp,  began  to  fall  ill  and  the  floor  of  the  ladies'  cabin  was  speedily 
covered  with  the  sick  stretched  on  mattresses  and  blankets. 

The  country  we  passed  through  was  chiefly  a  wilderness,  rocky  on  the 
Missouri  and  flat  on  the  Illinois  side.  The  way  grew  wofully  tiresome 
after  the  novelty  of  getting  aground  and  swinging  or  sparring  off  had 


46  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

worn  away.  On  Tuesday  evening  the  officers  relieved  the  tedium  of  the 
voyage  by  the  mock  trial  by  court-martial  of  a  captain  of  the  regiment, 
who  was  charged  with  "  riding  a  borrowed  horse,  sitting  backwards  upon 
him  and  using -the  tail  as  a  rudder"  —  with  " swallowing  the  surgeon's 
probang  while  having  his  throat  operated  upon,"  etc.,  etc.  About  nine  p. 
M.  when  the  mad  fun  was  at  its  height,  the  boat  struck  heavily  upon  a  bar 
and  thenceforth  the  history  of  the  expedition  may  be  concisely  set  forth 
in  two  lines  of  that  poetical  arctic  romance  in  the  reading-book  of  our 
school  days: 

"  Six  days  and  nights,  the  record  stood, 

Had  they  been  in  the  ice  and  wanted  food." 

Wednesday  we  awoke  to  find  ourselves  "cabined,  cribbed,  confined"  in 
the  wilderness  —  twenty  miles  from  anywhere,  the  weather  severely  cold 
and  one  day's  provision  aboard  for  over  eight  hundred  men,  women  and 
children  —  the  river  falling  to  still  "lower  depths,"  and  a  hostile  shore 
twenty  rods  away.  The  spars  were  worked  incessantly,  the  engines 
roared,  and  the  mate  swore  enough  to  melt  the  ice  within  hearing  distance 
of  his  resonant  voice,  but  the  boat  clung  to  the  sand.  Two  men  were 
sent  ashore  in  a  skiff  and  dispatched  across  the  country  to  Cape  Girar- 
deau,  the  nearest  town,  for  assistance.  Thursday  one  strong  man  died  in 
the  cabin.  Our  last  rations  were  dealt  out  and  the  quartermaster  landed 
to  search  the  neighborhood  for  cattle.  Towards  evening  our  messengers 
returned  with  a  wagon  load  of  provisions  and  the  promise  that  a  boat 
would  come,  if  possible,  to  our  relief.  Friday  the  quartermaster  pressed 
into  service  the  steamer  Belle  Memphis,  lying  in  winter  quarters  not  very 
far  from  the  scene  of  our  disaster.  She  got  up  steam  and  tugged  at  us 
forwards,  backwards  and  sideways,  all  to  no  purpose.  Consultations  of 
the  officers  were  frequent,  but  no  plan  of  extrication  from  our  difficulty 
could  be  agreed  upon  as  feasible.  We  could  disembark  and  make  a 
forced  march  to  Cape  Girardeau  or  to  Jonesboro',  111.,  but  we  must  aban 
don  baggage  and  boat  to  the  mercy  of  the  river  and  the  secessionists  who 
knew  of  our  mishap;  and  moreover  the  roads  were  reported  hardly  pass 
able.  The  Memphis  could  take  us  on  board  but,  being  a  heavy-draft 
boat,  could  not  go  over  the  next  bar  a  mile  ahead.  It  was  finally  decided 
to  unload  and  march  for  Jonesboro',  first  sending  to  Cape  Girardeau  for 
mules  and  provisions.  The  messengers  were  dispatched,  and  the  U.  A. 
January  disgorged  her  wealth  of  military  stores  and  men  upon  her  sister 
boat. 

The  Surgeon  and  his  assistants  knew  no  rest  night  nor  day.  The 
officers  were  in  constant  anxiety  lest  the  secessionists,  hearing  of  our 
situation,  should  come  upon  us  in  force.  The  men  were  becoming  rapidly 
demoralized  by  hunger,  fatigue  and  exposure.  The  clouds  never  broke 
and  the  wind  blew  bitterly  chill  from  the  north-west,  while  the  muddy 
river  forcibly  reminded  me  of  that  stream  in  Dante's  Purgatorio  angrily 
rushing —  ****<•  on  wjth  the  brown,  brown  current  under  the  shade 
perpetual,  that  never  ray  of  the  sun  lets  in  nor  of  the  moon,"  Satur 
day  we  landed  and  set  the  mess  fires  blazing  on  the  Missouri  rocks. 


ON    A    SAND-BAR.  47 

Cattle  and  hogs  were  slaughtered,  and  the  band,  stationed  on  the  hurri 
cane  deck,  struck  up  merry  tunes.  Towards  evening  a  ferry-boat  from 
Cape  Girardeau  crept  up  to  us  through  the  fog.  The  rain  poured  in 
torrents  during  the  night,  but  only  made  the  river  muddier,  not  more 
navigable.  Sunday  we  began  the  transferring  of  men  and  indispensable 
baggage  to  the  Illinois  shore  with  the  purpose  of  marching  to  the  nearest 
point  on  the  .Illinois  Central  R.  R.  One  load  had  .reached  the  opposite 
bank, -when  a  ringing  cheer  from  the  deck  of  the  Memphis  awoke  the 
echoes.  The  D.  A.  January  had  by  sparring  vigorously  been  loosened 
from  the  grip  of  the  sand-bar  and  visibly  swung  as  on  a  pivot  in  the 
current.  At  one  P.  M.  she  was  free,  steamed  up  the  river  for  wood  and 
coal,  returned,  and  before  dark  regiment  and  freight  were  .again  on  board. 
Monday  morning  the  men  were  landed  to  march  a  mile  or  more  while 
the  boat,  lightened  of  their  weight,  safely  passed  a  formidable  sand-bar 
near  some  singularly  castellated  cliffs  that  overhung  the  river's  edge. 
Another  troublesome  shallow,  overlooked  by  the  "  Devil's  tea-table,"  com 
pelled  a  second  disembarkation  a  few  miles  further  on.  The  boat  dragged 
with  difficulty  over,  received  her  living  freight  again  and  the  pilot  cheer 
fully  announced  that  our  troubles  were  at  last  ended.  But  not  so!  In  less 
than  an  hour  we  were  fast  upon  another  bar  and  only  got  off  after  four 
hours'  diligent  work,  when,  it  being  dark,  we  tied  up  for  the  night  with 
our  consort,  the  ferry-boat.  Tuesday  morning  at  eight  o'clock  we  started 
again,  and  struck  a  snag  at  nine,  but  slid  off  from  it;  the  ferry-boat,  less, 
lucky,  was  sunk  in  our  wake.  Arriving  at  Cape  Girardeau,  we  were 
ordered  to  disembark  and  encamp.  Having  become  by  this  time  expert 
in  transferring  freight,  before  ten  o'clock  the  regiment  had  everything 
piled  upon  the  levee  and  was  just  taking  up  the  line  of  march  for  camp, 
when  orders  arrived  for  us  to  embark  at  once  and  proceed  to  Fort  Holt 
via  Cairo.  At  half-past  four  p.  M.  we  were  away  to  the  tune  of  Dixie. 
Commerce,  Mo.,  was  reported  occupied  by  Jeff.  Thompson  and  a  small 
Confederate  force,  but  we  floated  by  undisturbed  in  the  darkness  and 
tied  up  for  the  night  a  little  below  that  place.  Wednesday  the  back 
water,  caused  by  the  swollen  Ohio,  ended  our  troubles  in  navigation.  At 
half-past  one  P.  M.  we  reached  Cairo,  ten  days  from  St.  Louis.  Having 
nearly  depleted  that  city  of  its  supplies  of  apples,  gingerbread  and  news 
papers,  about  four  p.  M.  we  steamed  up  the  Ohio  under  orders  for  Padu- 
cah.  Thursday  morning  we  deserted  the  D.  A.  January,  and  marched 
with  the  pleasant  sunshine  of  a  May-like  day  to  the  music  of  bluebirds 
and  our  band  playing  Yankee  Doodle,  and  pitched  our  tents  in  an  oak 
grove  near  where  the  Tennessee  pours  its  waters  into  the  Ohio. 

The  journey  so  well  described  in  the  foregoing  letter  ter 
minated  on  January  23d.  It  was  an  adventure  of  real  hard 
ships,  the  more  so  as  the  men  were  yet  unaccustomed  to 
exposure,  and  lacked  the  experience  and  skill  which  ulti 
mately  made  them  equal  to  anything.  The  soldier  whose 


48  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

death  is  mentioned  was  Albert  Washburn  of  Company  G, 
who  thus  early  died  of  diphtheria.  Dr.  Roler,  by  his  unre 
mitting  kindness  during  this  expedition,  earned  the  love  and 
esteem  of  the  rank  and  file,  which  ever  after  remained  un 
wavering —  fully  deserved  and  freely  given. 

On  the  day  of  arrival  at  Paducah  the  regiment  disem 
barked,  and  marched  about  two  miles  to  a  place  of  encamp 
ment  upon  high  ground  and  among  innumerable  stumps. 
Here  for  the  first  time  tents  drawn  at  St.  Louis  were  erected, 
being  of  the  Sibley  pattern,  just  then  in  vogue.  Sheet-iron 
stoves  were  also  issued  by  the  quartermaster.  They  were 
cylindrical  affairs,  which  stood  upon  the  ground  like  a  barrel 
upon  end,  and  attached  to  them  was  a  pipe,  making  its 
exit  at  the  top  of  the  tent.  These  contrivances  answered 
moderately  well  for  the  purpose  of  heating,  but  were  useless 
for  cooking.  There  were  fourteen  women  with  the  regiment, 
wives  of  officers  and  men,  nearly  all  striving  vaguely,  and  in 
the  main  uselessly,  to  do  something  as  hospital  nurses,  laun 
dresses,  or  cooks. 

For  a  time  after  landing  the  weather  remained  warm  and 
pleasant.  On  January  2yth  camp  was  removed  to  a  point 
nearer  town,  and  contiguous  to  the  brigade  of  General  Lew 
Wallace,  in  which  were  the  fantastically  dressed  and  fanci 
fully  drilled  Eleventh  Indiana  and  Eighth  Missouri.  The 
removal  took  place  in  a  driving  rain  and  snow  storm,  and  was 
followed  by  freezing  cold  weather.  There  was  no  material 
for  bedding  other  than  the  single  blanket  and  overcoat  be 
longing  to  each  soldier,  and  no  means  of  flooring  the  tents, 
which  were  pitched  upon  a  coating  of  several  inches  of  snow, 
underlaid  by  slush.  Much  suffering  and  consequent  sickness 
followed.  On  the  approach  of  evening  a  few  men  entered  a 
barn  near  the  camp-ground  and  confiscated  certain  small 
bundles  of  corn  fodder  to  eke  out  their  scanty  bedding.  The 
owner  at  once  appealed  to  the  colonel  who,  furiously  enraged, 
rushed  to  the  front  of  his  tent,  and  at  the  top  of  his  strong 
voice  proclaimed  that  he  would  "turn  grape  and  canister" 
upon  the  men  —  that  he  "would  slaughter  them"  before  it 
should  be  said  that  he  "commanded  a  regiment  of  thieves 
and  vagabonds."  All  this  and  much  more  was  repeated  over 


THE    ORDERLIES.  49 

and  over  again,  in  the  loudest  possible  tones,  and  garnished 
with -an  infinite  variety  of  oaths.  This  exhibition  of  ungov 
ernable  rage  to  the  men,  who  were  suffering  fearfully  from 
the  inclemency  of  the  weather,  was  wholly  unwarranted  by 
the  occasion,  and  was  a  foretaste  of  the  abuse  and  tyranny 
which  increased  from  day  to  day  as  the  distance  from  the 
restraints  of  civil  life  enlarged. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  service  the  orderly  sergeants 
were  held  accountable  for  nearly  everything.  It  was  much 
safer  to  curse  and  lecture  them  than  it  was  the  commissioned 
officers,  who  sometimes  resented  insults,  and  were  supposed 
to  have  certain  rights.  Not  so  with  the  hard-worked  order 
lies,  who  suffered  daily  and  hourly  vicariously  for  everybody's 
faults,  and  if  nothing  specific  could  be  discovered,  were 
cursed  on  general  principles  by  the  field-officers,  and  grum 
bled  at  by  the  company  officers  and  men.  It  may  be  that 
the  names  of  these  lowly  personages  who  toiled  and  suffered 
so  much  are  worth  preserving  in  these  pages.  They  were: 

Company  A,  William  F.  Cootes.         Company  F,  James  F.  Shreves. 

B,  Parker  B.  Bagley.  "          G,  Peter  Roberts. 

C,  Ambrose  E.  Partch.  "          H,  James  McCreedy. 

"          D,  Charles  E.  Burnap.  I,    Lucien  B.  Crocker. 

E,  Jonas  L.  Buck.  K,  Charles  K.  Ensell. 

Subsequently  three  of  these  men  became  captains,  after 
filling  lower  grades.  One  became  second-lieutenant,  and  was 
cashiered  for  cowardice.  One  was  discharged  for  wounds  re 
ceived  at  Shiloh.  Two  died,  one  in  battle  and  one  of  disease, 
after  both  had  justly  earned  promotion  and  been  unjustly  de 
nied  it.  One  was  transferred  to  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps 
for  disability,  and  nearly  all  received  wounds. 

One  pronounced  trait  in  Colonel  Stuart's  character  was  a 
penchant  for  making  speeches  on  every  possible  occasion. 
He  was  an  orator  of  fine  action  and  much  dramatic  force, 
and  however  uncalled  for,  his  florid  declamations  at  the  time 
excited  admiration.  It  should  be  remembered  also  that  this 
was  the  epoch  of  speech-making,  and  that  the  most  popular 
stump  orator  was  apt  to  be  considered  the  most  deserving 
officer.  In  the  light  of  later  experience  Stuart's  orations 
now  seem  extravagent,  if  not  ludicrous.  Somehow  they  did 
4 


50  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

not  appear  so  then,  probably  because  the  inexperienced  lis 
teners  had  not  yet  learned  to  distinguish  between  a  rhetorical 
fusilade  and  practical  warfare.  Just  after  dark,  on  the  cold 
night  of  the  before-mentioned  "grape  and  canister"  epi 
sode,  the  orderlies'  call  sounded,  whereupon  those  humble 
but  useful  non-commissioned  officers  trotted  off  to  the  quar 
ters  of  Adjutant  Thurston,  and  were  there  told  by  Clerk 
Nourse  that  the  colonel  wished  to  see  them.  They  ranged 
themselves  in  the  tent  occupied  by  that  dignitary,  looking 
deeply  impressed  and  as  soldierly  as  possible.  Stuart  sat 
behind  a  small  pine  table,  upon  which  was  a  candle  "dimly 
burning,"  and  at  once  launched  out  into  an  oration.  The 
first  words  uttered  were  literally  as  follows  :  "  I  am  a  man 
of  somewhat  damaged  reputation,  as  you  all  well  know, 
and  I  came  into  the  army  solely  to  retrieve  that  reputation; 
and  I  depend  upon  this  regiment  to  do  it."  Following 
these  remarkable  words  he  assumed  an  upright  position, 
and  with  the  graces  of  diction  and  gesture  he  knew  so  well 
how  to  use,  proceeded  to  lecture  the  orderlies  for  the  space 
of  an  hour  upon  the  extent  of  their  duties,  when  they  were 
allowed  to  retire  and  wonder  how  so  many  responsibilities 
happened  to  rest  upon  men  having  so  little  honor  and  such 
small  pay.  The  qualifications  named  by  the  speaker  as 
necessary  for  an  orderly-sergeant  would  have  been  cheaply 
purchased  by  the  government  at  the  expense  of  a  major- 
general's  salary  for  each  of  them.  In  the  peculiar  language 
above  quoted  is  undoubtedly  found  the  chief  incentive  to 
Stuart's  action,  and  this  is  confirmed  by  much  that  he  said 
and  did  afterwards. 

It  was  apparent  from  the  massing  of  troops  about  the 
mouth  of  the  Cumberland  and  Tennessee  that  important 
operations  were  about  to  take  place.  Of  course  the  details 
were  beyond  the  scope  of  the  vision  of  the  rank  and  file. 
In  connection  with  these  movements  the  troops  encamped 
adjacent  to  the  Fifty-fifth  took  their  departure,  and  on  the 
sixth  day  of  February  camp  was  moved  a  few  hundred  yards 
to  the  ground  just  abandoned  by  the  Eleventh  Indiana.  It 
was  regularly  laid  out  in  graded  streets,  with  comfortable 
log-cabins  for  guard  and  cook-rooms,  and  after  the  removal 


FUN    AT    THE    SUTLER'S.  51 

the  Fifty-fifth  found  its  condition  much  improved.  All  sorts 
of  rumors  were  rife  relating  to  attacks  and  counter  attacks, 
and  details  for  guard  and  picket  duty  were  quite  heavy. 
Squads  were  daily  taken  from  the  regiment  to  work  upon  the 
fort  being  constructed  around  the  Marine  Hospital,  which 
afterwards  served  a  purpose  in  the  memorable  defence  of 
Paducah  by  Colonel  Hicks  of  the  Fortieth  Illinois.  Some  of 
the  men  took  lessons  in  artillery  practice  at  this  fort;  and  the 
knowledge  so  acquired  was  put  to  valuable  use  during  the 
closing  incidents  of  the  first  day's  battle  of  Shiloh. 

The  large  round  tent  used  by  the  sutler  had  been  set  up 
adjacent  to  the  camp,  where  "sutler's  chips,"  the  representa 
tive  of  value  in  all  the  poker  games  thereabouts,  were  sold 
to  all  desiring  them,  who  had  money  or  credit.  Phillip  Seel- 
bach,  first-lieutenant  of  Company  I,  was  a  German  of  some 
capacity,  plenty  of  good  nature,  and  bibulous  proclivities. 
It  was  a  rare  day  indeed  when  this  easy-going  officer  was  not 
symmetrically  drunk  by  night-fall.  Just  after  dark,  one  rainy 
night,  he  wandered  into  the  sutler's  tent  in  search  of  con 
genial  companionship  and  the  other  luxuries  likely  to  be 
found  there.  The  fire  was  comfortable  and  the  company  all 
that  could  be  expected,  and  with  the  overwhelming  dignity 
of  a  drunken  man  who  is  bound  to  conceal  his  condition,  the 
lieutenant  seated  himself  upon  a  camp-stool  within  the 
charmed  circle.  Further  refreshments  of  the  liquid  sort, 
combined  with  the  warmth,  soon  overcame  him,  and  he  slid 
off  the  camp-stool  into  the  saw-dust  beneath,  "whereupon 
the  proceedings  interested  him  no  more."  Captain  Tazewell, 
Quartermaster  Janes  and  others  waggishly  inclined,  at  once 
proposed  that  Seelbach  should  be  buried  with  the  honors  of 
war,  since  he  had  fallen  upon  the  field.  They  proceeded  to 
completely  bury  him  in  the  saw-dust,  and  fire  loose  cartridges 
all  over  and  around  him,  and  when  the  entertainment  closed, 
trundled  him  home  in  a  wheelbarrow,  and  left  him,  like  Pick 
wick,  to  be  gazed  upon  and  scoffed  at  by  the  rabble.  When 
the  orderly  of  Company  I  reported  to  him  the  next  morning, 
he  lay  in  a  heap,  covered  with  mud  and  saw-dust,  with  eye 
brows  and  hair  singed  off,  without  doubt  the  hardest  looking 
warrior  in  the  Western  department. 


52  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

Owing  to  the  frequent  rumors  of  attack  the  sutler,  a 
nervous  individual,  was  in  a  state  of  constant  alarm  lest  he 
and  his  stock  should  be  captured.  Knowing  this,  certain 
officers  pursued  him  with  blood-curdling  stories  of  danger. 
On  a  certain  warm,  foggy  evening,  one  officer  after  another, 
according  to  a  pre-arranged  plan,  dropped  in  upon  him,  and 
each  in  turn  showed  a  lot  of  cartridges  filled  with  saw-dust, 
cursing  loudly  the  villainous  fraud,  especially  as  an  attack 
was  bound  to  come  that  very  night.  When  the  sutler's  fears 
had  been  wrought  up  to  the  proper  pitch,  the  quartermaster 
dropped  in  and  told  in  a  highly  excited  way  that  he  was 
ordered  at  once  to  send  to  the  river  for  a  supply  of  good 
ammunition,  to  replace  the  worthless  stock  on  hand.  He 
furthermore  complained  that  all  his  teams  were  a  mile  away, 
and  asked  the  sutler  if  he  would  not  take  his  sleek  span  of 
mules  near  by  and  go  upon  the  errand.  Of  course  that  indi 
vidual  was  only  too  glad  to  go  for  ammunition  which  was  to 
be  expended  in  the  protection  of  his  person  and  property, 
and  armed  with  a  fictitious  requisition  upon  a  fictitious  officer, 
located  upon  a  boat  equally  mythical,  set  forth  at  once.  As 
soon  as  the  sutler  disappeared,  the  whole  regiment  was  taken 
into  the  secret,  and  turned  loose  to  fortify  the  tent.  Hun 
dreds  of  willing  hands  were  instantly  busy  in  digging  a  ditch 
and  throwing  up  breastworks  to  that  end,  and  when  done,  all 
the  old  stovepipes  and  barrels  around  camp  were  mounted 
thereon  to  represent  artillery.  A  circle  of  brush  was  dragged 
around  outside  the  whole,  and  all  retired  to  await  results. 
When  the  sutler  returned,  his  rage  and  fury  in  storming  the 
works  around  his  own  tent  more  than  satisfied  all  that  the 
labor  was  well  expended. 

February  2d  several  thousand  troops  passed  up  the  Ten 
nessee,  leaving  the  Fifty-fifth  behind,  much  to  the  disgust  of 
its  members,  who  were  kept  busy  about  guard  duty,  unload 
ing  steamboats,  and  other  such  irksome  labors.  As  is  now 
well  known,  this  movement  of  the  Union  forces  opened  the 
heart  of  the  Confederacy  through  the  conquest  of  Forts 
Henry  and  Donelson.  It  was  understood  at  the  time  that 
the  Fifty-fifth  was  left  in  the  rear  on  account  of  the  utter 
worthlessness  of  its  arms.  That  they  were  useless  was  finally 


FORTS    HENRY    AND    DONELSON.  53 

judicially  settled  by  a  board  of  inspection,  who  sagely  deter 
mined  what  everybody  had  long  known,  and  to  that  fact  is 
due  what  was  then  conceived  by  the  members  of  the  regi 
ment  to  be  a  great  misfortune.  After  Shiloh  the  luck  of 
being  left  in  the  rear  in  case  of  battle  was  always  submitted 
to  with  resignation,  though  it  must  in  truth  be  confessed  that 
chances  for  such  self-denial  did  not  often  occur  in  the  subse 
quent  history  of  the  regiment. 

On  February  6th,  much  to  the  joy  of  the  men,  new  arms 
were  issued  to  them.  They  were  heavy  guns  of  58  calibre, 
called  the  "Dresden  rifle,"  were  long  range  and  accurate,  and 
adapted  to  the  conical  ball.  In  all  battles  in  which  the  Fifty- 
fifth  took  part,  up  to  the  close  of  the  Vicksburg  campaign, 
they  were  efficient  weapons  in  the  hands  of  brave  men,  and 
did  their  full  share  of  bloody  work  on  numerous  battle-fields. 

The  almost  bloodless  capture  of  Fort  Henry  was  followed 
by  the  sanguinary  conflicts  around  Donelson,  and  on  Febru 
ary  i6th  and  i;th  large  numbers  of  Federal  and  Confederate 
wounded  arrived  at  Paducah.  Churches  and  other  buildings 
were  taken  as  hospitals,  and  large  details  of  the  Fifty-fifth 
were  kept  busy  in  moving  and  caring  for  the  unfortunates. 
The  streets  were  filled  with  the  slightly  wounded,  each  one 
surrounded  by  a  group  of  admiring  listeners,  and  not  one  of 
the  gaping  crowd  but  would  have  gladly  taken  the  wound  if 
a  share  of  the  glory  could  have  been  transmitted  with  it. 

As  the  expedition  passed  up  the  river  by  Paducah,  John 
Armstrong  of  Company  I  went  on  board  a  transport  to  visit 
friends  in  the  Fifty-seventh  Illinois.  The  boat  left  suddenly 
and  John  became  a  part  of  the  campaign.  He  passed  through 
the  outskirts  of  the  conflict  at  Donelson,  and  so  accidentally 
earned  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  man  of  the  Fifty-fifth 
ever  under  fire,  and  upon  hi^s  return  was  looked  at  as  a  hero, 
to  whom  the  god  of  war  had  granted  a  great  favor.  It  is 
needless  to  add  that  shortly  such  honors  became  more  com 
mon  and  less  conspicuous. 

Some  writer  has  used  the  far-fetched  expression  that  at 
this  period  the  army  was  clothed  with  music.  If  so,  the 
Fifty-fifth  had  its  full  share  of  harmonious  apparel.  In  ad 
dition  to  the  irrepressible  drum  corps,  a  splendid  brass  band 


54  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

had  so  far  been  connected  with  the  regiment.  Although  the 
men  liked  well  enough  to  listen  to  their  music  and  march  to 
its  rhythm,  the  members  of  the  band  had  always  erected 
their  tent  in  the  field-officers'  row,  and  held  themselves  some 
what  aloof  from  the  common  soldiers.  As  their  duties  were 
somewhat  of  the  dress-parade  order,  they  were  the  victims 
of  many  rough  jokes.  If  the  term  had  then  been  invented, 
they  would  have  been  called  military  dudes.  In  accordance 
with  a  general  order  this  band  was  mustered  out  on  February 
ist,  and  forever  after  the  regiment  had  to  rely  on  such  rattling 
strains  as  "Waukegan"  could  coax  or  scold  out  of  Joe 
Edwards,  "Betsey"  Sherman,  Orion  P.  and  Liston  D.  Howe, 
and  their  youthful  but  insubordinate  fellows. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  sojourn  at  Paducah  many  changes 
occurred  among  the  line  officers.  Some  were  unfitted  for  the 
positions  they  occupied,  either  in  fact  or  in  the  opinion  of 
the  colonel,  who  assumed  the  most  arbitrary  control  over 
their  official  existence.  Although  nothing  but  garrison  duty 
had  been  encountered,  some  had  endured  enough  of  the 
hardships  of  war  to  exalt  the  family  altar  above  the  much 
eulogized  altar  of  the  suffering  country.  Still  others,  and  by 
far  the  greater  number,  were  chafing  under  the  unstable  policy 
of  the  colonel,  and  the  ill  temper  and  abuse  of  the  lieutenant- 
colonel,  and  as  the  most  practicable  means  of  escape  tendered 
their  resignations.  The  major  was  well  liked,  but  when  two 
superiors  are  present,  the  major  of  a  regiment  is  a  good  deal 
like  the  proverbial  fifth  wheel  to  a  coach.  Few  if  any  com 
missions  had  yet  been  issued  to  the  officers  of  the  Fifty-fifth, 
which  was  entirely  the  fault  of  the  colonel,  as  will  be  seen 
later  when  it  becomes  necessary  to  allude  to  it  at  greater 
length,  as  a  potent  cause  of  dissension.  Since  the  records  of 
officers  in  the  Adjutant-General's  pffice  of  the  state  of  Illinois 
are  kept  in  what  is  known  as  a  Commission  Book,  and  the 
reports  from  that  office  are  made  up  from  such  book,  many 
of  the  names  of  the  first  officers  of  the  regiment  appear  no 
where  in  the  archives  of  the  state.  No  commissions  having 
been  called  for  by  the  commander  of  the  regiment,  none 
were  issued,  and  therefore  the  records  of  the  Adjutant-General 
are,  and  for  no  fault  of  his  own  in  that  particular,  incomplete. 


RESIGNATIONS.  5S 

To  illustrate  this  point,  the  case  of  T.  B.  Burrows  may  be 
cited.  He  had  served  as  second-lieutenant  of  Company  H 
since  the  muster-in  of  the  regiment,  and  died  at  Paducah; 
but  hrs  name  nowhere  appears  in  the  Adjutant-General's  re 
port.  At  this  distance,  and  principally  for  the  reasons  above 
given,  strict  accuracy  as  to  the  names  of  the  officers  leaving 
about  this  period  is  impossible.  The  following  is  offered  as 
perhaps  an  imperfect  statement,  in  that  connection:  William 
Presson,  captain  of  Company  A,  resigned  March  13,  1862; 
Asahel  C.  Smith,  second-lieutenant  of  Company  B,  resigned 
March  5th,  1862;  Thomas  B.  Mackey,  captain  of  Company 
B,  resigned  December  28,  1861;  William  S.  Johnson,  second- 
lieutenant  of  Company  D,  resigned  March  5,  1862;  William 
H.  Dixon,  first-lieutenant  of  Company  E,  resigned  March  13, 
1862;  William  R.  Halligan,  second-lieutenant  of  Company  E, 
resigned  March  5,  1862;  Milton  L.  Haney,  captain  of  Com 
pany  F,  resigned  March  5,  1862;  Jabez  C.  Crooker,  captain  of 
Company  I,  resigned  February,  1862;  Phillip  Seelbach,  first- 
lieutenant  of  Company  I,  resigned  March  5,  1862.  One  L. 
P.  Crouch,  whose  name  does  not  appear  at  all  in  the  Adjutant- 
General's  office,  and  who  had  been  striving  in  a  feeble  way  to 
fulfill  the  duties  of  chaplain,  also  tendered  his  resignation. 
As  previously  mentioned,  Lieutenant  T.  B.  Burrows  of  Com 
pany  H  died  in  hospital  at  this  post.  From  the  above  it 
appears  that  more  than  one-third  of  the  officers  originally 
mustered  with  the  regiment  disappeared  from  its  rolls  before 
the  danger  of  actual  battle  was  reached. 

On  February  2/th,  1862,  Colonel  Stuart  assumed  command 
of  the  Second  brigade  of  Sherman's  division.  Here  began 
the  association  of  the  Fifty-fifth  with  the  excellent  and 
brave  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  Zouaves,  so  long  companions  in  the 
rebellion  struggle,  and  neither  regiment  were  ever  ashamed 
of  the  association.  The  Seventy-first  Ohio,  so  utterly  dis 
graced  at  Shiloh,  was  the  remaining  member  of  the  brigade. 

It  was  well  understood  in  military  circles  that  the  recent 
conquest  of  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson  had  pierced  the  rebel 
line  of  defence,  and  the  abandonment  of  Columbus,  the  "Gib 
raltar  of  the  West,"  was  anticipated  as  likely  to  follow.  For 
the  purpose,  possibly  of  hurrying  that  result,  an  expedition 


56  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

was  organized,  consisting  of  a  battalion  from  each  of  the 
three  regiments  above  named.  At  Cairo  the  gunboat  fleet, 
with  the  Twenty-seventh  and  Forty-second  Illinois,  joined, 
and  the  whole  proceeded  down  the  Mississippi  to  the  imme 
diate  vicinity  of  the  rebel  stronghold.  It  was  found  that 
Columbus  was  evacuated,  a  fact  not  however  at  once  appar 
ent  from  the  river.  Finally  thirty  men  of  Company  I  em 
barked  with  General  Sherman  upon  a  tug-boat,  which  steamed 
direct  to  the  water  batteries  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff.  Captain 
Slattery  was  the  first  Federal  soldier  who  stepped  on  shore, 
followed  quickly  by  the  general  and  others  present.  Every 
thing  capable  of  destruction  was  a  smoking  ruin.  The 
strongest  fortifications  ever  erected  in  the  West  were  wholly 
dismantled.  The  innumerable  "shebangs"  and  "dug-outs" 
for  may  thousands  of  men  were  wholly  or  partially  destroyed; 
and  the  ruins  were  objects  of  untiring  exploration  during  the 
short  Federal  occupation.  For  the  only  time  during  the  war 
the  Fifty-fifth  acted  in  conjunction  with  its  former  colleague 
of  the  Douglas  Brigade.  As  was  nearly  always  the  case 
during  its  history,  no  reports  were  made  for  the  regiment,  and 
it  is  difficult  to  state  precisely  what  portion  participated  in 
this  expedition.  Most  comrades  when  asked  say  that  the 
whole  regiment  was  included.  Lieutenant  Hartsook,  than 
whom  there  is  no  better  authority,  is  certain  Company  F  was 
not  present.  In  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  Companies  A,  F  and 
G  did  not  go.  Besides,  large  details  from  other  companies 
were  left  at  Paducah.  General  Cullum,  Halleck's  chief-of- 
staff,  who  was  present,  reports  that  a  battalion  of  the  Fifty- 
fifth,  under  Major  Sanger,  accompanied  the  expedition. 

One  of  the  very  few  regimental  monthly  reports  which 
have  been  found  is  that  of  February,  1862.  It  is  valuable  as 
showing  the  exact  condition  of  the  Fifty-fifth  just  before  it 
went  to  the  extreme  front,  and  only  five  weeks  before  it  par 
ticipated  in  its  first  and  greatest  battle.  By  such  report  it 
appears  that  on  the  last  day  of  February  there  were  6  field 
and  staff,  19  line  officers,  and  764  enlisted  men  present  for 
duty,  being  an  aggregate  of  789  in  all  grades.  This  is  what 
would  have  appeared  in  the  Confederate  reports  as  the 
effective  total.  There  were  73  men  present,  but  sick — in 


LEAVING    PADUCAH.  57 

other  words,  in  regimental  hospital  or  excused  by  the  surgeon 
from  duty;  32  enlisted  men  were  absent  sick  —  that  is  to  say, 
away  from  the  care  of  regimental  surgeon.  There  were  in 
arrest  two  enlisted  men,  both  from  Company  G,  and  one  man 
had  died  during  the  month.  Pursuing  the  examination  fur 
ther,  it  appears  that  there  were  954  names  upon  the  roll  of 
the  regiment.  There  was  a  loss  from  all  causes  during  the 
month  of  32.  These  were  mainly  by  resignation  and  the 
muster  out  of  the  band;  one,  however,  was  a  deserter  from 
Company  E. 

The  Fifty-fifth  returned  from  Columbus  to  Paducah  on 
March  6th,  where  all  was  "hurrying  to  and  fro,"  and  every 
thing  in  a  state  of  unrest,  foreboding  a  speedy  departure. 
The  city,  the  river  bank,  and  the  numerous  steamboats  in 
sight  were  crowded  with  blue-coats,  betokening  extensive 
concentration  and  an  eventful  future.  On  this  day  Hugh 
Muckle,  a  soldier  of  Company  B,  was  accidentally  killed  by 
a  musket  shot.  Scarcely  had  the  Fifty-fifth  reached  camp 
when  orders  were  received  to  strike  tents  and  join  the  pro 
cession.  The  regiment  had  by  this  time  acquired  a  gorgeous 
array  of  baggage,  mules  and  wagons.  One  authority  places 
the  number  at  twenty-six  six-mule  teams.  This  would  make 
a  melodious  aggregate  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-six  of  those 
humble  but  useful  animals,  all  of  which  had  had  their  tails 
twisted  and  been  lashed  into  an  uncertain  state  of  subordi 
nation  by  the  intellectual  soldiers  detailed  for  that  purpose. 
The  soul-searching  strains  of  disapproval  arising  from  the 
corral  about  these  times  did  much  to  console  the  men  for  the 
recent  loss  of  the  brass  band.  For  the  purpose  of  destroy 
ing  sleep  and  jarring  upon  the  nerves  of  a  sick  man  they 
almost  equaled  the  drum  corps  which  made  life  a  burden  to 
"  Waukegan."  All  baggage  and  equipage  was  upon  the  same 
magnificent  scale,  and  it  may  well  be  supposed  that  moving 
was  a  laborious  proceeding.  March  /th  was  devoted  to  that 
duty,  and  after  dark  the  Fifty-fifth  filed  on  board  the  steamer 
Hannibal,  which  was  to  be  its  home  during  the  journey  up 
the  Tennessee.  During  that  night  the  boat  remained  at  the 
levee,  but  early  on  the  morning  of  the  8th  dropped  down  the 
river  for  coal;  and  when  the  fuel  was  on  board,  tied  up  at  an 


S  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

adjacent  island,  surrounded  by  a  large  number  of  steamers, 
each  bearing  a  like  burden  of  boisterous  patriots. 

The  day  was  warm  and  genial.  The  buds  of  the  willow 
and  water  maple  were  fast  opening  to  the  kiss  of  the  south 
ern  sun.  The  bluebirds  and  other  feathered  harbingers  of 
spring  were  flitting  about,  undisturbed  by  the  warlike  pageant 
spre'ad  out  before  them.  Steamboats  covered  with  swarms 
of  blue-coated  soldiers  were  moving  from  place  to  place, 
while  here  and  there  black  gunboats  were  anchored  in  sullen 
silence.  The  air  was  burdened  with  strains  of  martial  music. 
Altogether  the  scene  was  a  gorgeous  panorama,  as  inspiring 
as  was  ever  pictured  on  this  continent.  Evidently  a  historic 
climax  was  approaching. 

Since  the  resignations  which  had  recently  occurred,  much 
speculation  had  ensued  as  to  who  should  succeed  to  the 
vacancies  caused  thereby.  Ordinarily,  and  in  a  regiment 
where  the  accepted  rules  of  the  service  governed,  this  would 
not  have  been  a  matter  of  either  difficulty  or  speculation. 
If  the  parties  who  had  been  found  reasonably  well  qualified 
had  been  promoted  according  to  rank,  the  whole  problem 
would  have  been  solved  according  to  well  established  rules 
of  justice.  But  this  was  not  for  a  moment  intended,  and  for 
weeks  the  "caucus  plan"  had  been  in  operation,  wherein  all 
sorts  of  influence,  prejudice  and  favoritism  had  a  full  hearing. 
Just  before  departure  from  Paducah  some  had  been  quietly 
notified  of  their  intended  promotion,  and  had  ad  interim  been 
so  acting;  but  no  uniforms  or  insignia  of  rank  had  as  yet  been 
authorized  to  designate  such  elevation,  and  no  order  had  been 
issued  definitely  recognizing  it.  Thus  it  was  that  when  the 
Fifty-fifth  marched  on  board  the  Hannibal  many  vacancies 
in  fact  existed  in  its  roster  of  officers,  and  the  hopes  and 
fears  of  a  dozen  or  more  ambitious  soldiers  were  dependant 
upon  the  colonel's  future  and  final  action.  An  order  in 
precise  terms  of  military  brevity  would  have  fulfilled  all 
legal  requirements,  and  have  been  in  accordance  with  army 
usage.  More  ostentation,  however,  ushered  in  the  glitter  of 
these  new  shoulder-straps.  In  the  presence  of  the  adjacent 
thousands  it  was  determined  to  promulgate  the  various  pro 
motions  in  the  most  public  manner,  and  the  colonel  proceeded 


STUART'S    ORATORY.  59 

to  that  task  early  in  the  day  lest  the  sun  should  go  down 
before  it  was  completed.  The  spirit  of  oratory  was  again 
upon  him.  The  waters  of  his  great  intellectual  deep  were 
troubled,  and  the  wind  must  spend  its  force  before  they  would 
again  be  calm.  The  hurricane  deck  of  the  peaceful  steamer 
Hannibal  was  cleared  for  action.  Then  Company  A  was 
formed  on  the  lower  deck,  "armed  and  equipped  as  the  law 
directs,"  and  marched  to  the  upper  deck,  where  each  promo 
tion,  whether  commissioned  or  non-commissioned,  was  an 
nounced  by  the  colonel,  and  each  new  officer,  blushing  with 
his  new  honors,  then  and  there  assumed  his  proper  place,  to 
"be  respected  and  obeyed  accordingly."  These  proceedings 
were  interrupted  and  garnished  with  bursts  of  eloquent 
admonition  about  the  duties  of  each  grade,  with  hints  upon 
deportment,  military  ethics,  and  the  war  generally.  Thus  in 
alphabetical  order  each  company  was  in  turn  marched  to  the 
same  place,  and  a  like  libation  of  euphony  poured  upon  it. 
On  this  auspicious  occasion,  and  in  like  grand  manner  the 
writer  was  lifted  from  the  humble  position  of  orderly-sergeant 
of  Company  I  to  the  exalted  (as  it  then  seemed)  office  of 
first-lieutenant  of  the  same  company,  and  some  of  the  rhe 
torical  gems  scattered  for  the  delectation  of  that  company, 
still  linger  in  the  chambers  of  memory.  Colonel  Stuart  was 
magnificently  dressed,  and  walked  the  deck  like  a  king.  His 
fine  form  and  bearing  was  the  cynosure  of  thousands  near 
by.  If  the  reason  for  his  declamatory  flux  was  somewhat 
far-fetched,  his  manner  was  in  the  highest  degree  attractive 
and  dramatic.  The  inexperienced  and  wondering  listeners 
were  not  wont  to  grow  weary  under  it,  besides  who  could 
then  tell  but  what  the  walls  of  the  Confederacy  might  not  be 
vulnerable  to  huge  blasts  of  noise,  like  unto  those  of  Jericho 
of  old. 

After  Company  I  had  "right  dressed,"  Lieutenant  Slattery 
was  first  addressed  and  his  promotion  to  the  captaincy  an 
nounced,  with  congratulations  and  good  advice.  The  orderly 
was  next  taken  in  hand  and  a  section  of  an  oration  delivered 
"  suitable  to  his  condition  in  life,"  when  his  gun  was  taken 
away  and  he  marched  just  the  regulation  number  of  paces  in 
rear  of  the  left  flank.  This  course  was  pursued  in  the  regular 


60  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

order,  and  finally  ended  with  the  rescuing  of  a  "high  private" 
from  the  obscurity  of  the  ranks  and  elevating  him  upon  the 
exalted  pedestal  of  an  eighth  corporal,  when  the  company 
marched  away  in  a  blaze  of  glory. 

A  large  share  of  the  lecture  was  devoted  to  denouncing 
the  evils  of  intemperance,  and  as  an  inducement  to  forego 
the  seductive  fluids,  it  was  promised  that  when  we  got  to  New 
Orleans  at  the  end  of  the  war  we  would  all  get  drunk  to 
gether.  All  through  the  day  there  stood  upon  the  bottom  of 
an  upturned  yawl  on  the  upper  deck  a  woe-begone  soldier 
holding  an  old  cavalry  sabre  over  his  shoulder.  This  was 
one  Welch  of  Company  B,  who  was  suffering  in  the  flesh  for 
having  been  drunk  the  night  before.  Not  being  one  of  the 
fortunate  ones  selected  for  promotion,  and  his  place  of 
immolation  being  close  at  hand,  he  had  an  admirable  oppor 
tunity  for  listening  to  the  entire  series  of  speeches,  and  he 
occasionally  served  the  purposes  of  illustration.  While  the 
colonel  was  delivering  a  torrent  of  invective  against  the  evils 
of  intemperance,  he  suddenly  turned  to  the  culprit  and  vehe 
mently  remarked:  "There's  Welch;  he  got  drunk  last  night, 
fell  into  the  river  and  lost  his  gun.  He  is  a  perfect  walking 
moral  philosopher  of  the  evils  of  intemperance;  he  is  his 
own  horrid  example."  Addressing  Welch  directly  he  said, 
"Welch,  you  were  drunk  last  night,  weren't  you?  Speak  up 
like  a  man,  and  own  up."  Welch  lugubriously  replied,  "Yeas, 
about  half-drunk."  Whereat  the  colonel  yelled  out,  "  Half- 
drunk,  d n  you,  why  didn't  you  get  whole  drunk  like  a 

man?"  In  this  formidable  and  ponderous  way  about  one- 
half  of  the  officers  of  the  regiment  were  created,  or  in  some 
way  changed  their  positions.  It  is  not  likely  that  any  other 
similar  organization  ever  underwent  such  an  official  revolu 
tion  at  one  time,  before  experiencing  a  necessity  for  it  by  the 
casualties  of  battle.  Certainly  such  a  large  number  of 
changes  in  the  roster  of  officers  had  an  important  bearing 
upon  its  history,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  was  done  throws 
certain  side  lights  upon  the  character  of  those  responsible 
for  the  method  used. 

The  list  of  promotions  following  is  tentative  and  given  as 
the  nearest  correct  attainable.  Henry  S.  Nourse  was  pro- 


PROMOTIONS.  6l 

moted  to  adjutant.  He  was  from  Lancaster,  Massachusetts, 
and  had  come  West  at  the  request  of  Stuart  to  enter  the 
service  as  engineer,  in  which  direction  he  was  especially 
educated.  This  promise,  like  many  from  the  same  source, 
was  broken,  and  so  far  he  had  acted  as  clerk  to  his  friend 
the  adjutant,  drawing  neither  pay  nor  rations  and  not 
enlisted.  He  brought  to  his  new  office  the  first  fruits  of  his 
youthful  talents  and  splendid  education.  Fortunately  he 
survives  so  that  we  can  gather  riper  fruits  from  the  same 
source  to  be  stored  within  the  covers  of  this  volume.  The 
members  of  the  regiment  never  knew  how  he  wrought  and 
suffered  for  it  in  an  unassuming  way  while  under  the  rasping 
domination  of  superior  officers.  Captain  Milton  L.  Haney 
was  promoted,  if  it  may  be  called  promotion,  to  be  chaplain. 
That  he  was  the  best  officer  of  that  grade  in  the  service 
every  survivor  of  the  Fifty-fifth  is  yet  willing  to  maintain. 
In  Company  A,  Jacob  M.  Augustine  was  promoted  from 
first-lieutenant  to  captain  and  Second-Lieutenant  Casper 
Schleich  to  first-lieutenant.  Taking  into  account  the  splen 
did  ability  and  character  of  these  two  officers,  together  with 
the  tragic  death  of  both  of  them  in  battle,  it  is  fair  to  place 
them  highest  upon  the  lengthy  roll  of  honor  belonging  to 
the  Fifty-fifth.  William  F.  Cootes,  orderly-sergeant,  was  pro 
moted  to  the  second  lieutenancy  of  the  same  company. 
Adjutant  George  L.  Thurston  was  made  captain  of  Company 
B.  He  was  a  man  of  high  attainments  and  soldierly  quali 
ties,  and  his  early  death  from  disease  and  privation  was  as 
true  a  sacrifice  as  though  he  had  gone  down  in  the  flame  of 
battle.  Elijah  C.  Lawrence,  who  nominally  belonged  to 
Company  K,  was  made  second-lieutenant  of  Company  B. 
Sergeant  Theodore  W.  Hodges,  killed  in  one  month's  time, 
was  promoted  to  be  second-lieutenant  of  Company  C,  while 
Sergeant  Josiah  E.  Keys  of  the  same  company,  was 
transferred  and  made  first-lieutenant  of  Company  E.  Order 
ly-Sergeant  Jonas  L.  Buck  of  that  company  was  raised  to  its 
second-lieutenancy.  Second-Lieutenant  Squire  A.  Wright 
of  Company  C,  whose  life  was  also  soon  to  go  out  in  fierce 
conflict,  was  elevated  to  be  captain  of  Company  F,  and 
Second-Lieutenant  Joseph  W.  Parks  made  its  first-lieutenant, 


62  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

and  Sergeant  John  B.  Johnson  of  Company  A  made  its 
second-lieutenant.  To  Company  H,  Corporal  Nicholas 
Aagesen  of  Company  C  was  transferred  for  its  second- 
lieutenant.  In  Company  I  Orderly-Sergeant  Lucien  B. 
Crooker  and  First-duty  Sergeant  Charles  A.  Andress  were 
made  first  and  second-lieutenants  respectively.  The  best 
information  at  hand  would  indicate  that  Second-Lieutenant 
A.  J.  Gillett  of  Company  K,  was  promoted  to  be  its 
first-lieutenant,  and  Sergeant  John  H.  Fillmore  to  be  its 
second-lieutenant.  As  before  intimated  the  Adjutant-Gene 
ral's  report  for  the  state  of  Illinois  is  utterly  unreliable  in 
this  connection. 

By  an  order  dated  March  loth,  Major  W.  D.  Sanger  was 
placed  upon  the  staff  of  General  Sherman  and  the  regiment 
thereby  forever  deprived  of  his  services.  He  was  a  bright, 
genial  and  efficient  officer,  who  in  his  somewhat  uninfluential 
position  had  been  subjected  to  frequent  humiliation  at  the 
hands  of  the  lieutenant-colonel.  He  had  studied  three  years 
at  West  Point,  and  had  added  to  that  experience  by  serving 
both  upon  government  surveys  and  upon  the  ocean.  During 
the  period  of  his  staff  duty,  the  reports  of  his  commanding 
general  abound  with  accounts  of  his  good  conduct. 

All  will  remember  Charles  A.  Andress,  who  subsequently 
commanded  the  regiment,  and  who  at  this  time  was  made 
second-lieutenant.  No  one  will  for  a  moment  question  but 
that  he  was  entitled  to  his  promotion  according  to  grade; 
yet  the  tenure  by  which  men  there  held  their  rights  was  so 
slight  that  he  came  near 'missing  it.  Just  as  Company  I  was 
marching  to  the  upper  deck  to  receive  its  baptism  of  decla 
mation  before  described,  the  colonel  suggested  to  Captain 
Slattery  that  his  brother,  Edward  Slattery,  second  sergeant, 
be  promoted  to  second-lieutenant  over  the  head  of  Andress. 
To  the  eternal  credit  of  that  stalwart  soldier  and  good  citi 
zen,  Captain  Tim  Slattery,  be  it  said  that  he  utterly  refused 
to  permit  his  brother  to  profit  by  such  methods.  The  writer 
is  indebted  to  the  sense  of  justice  and  firmness  of  the  same 
person  for  his  own  promotion  according  to  rank,  and  what 
ever  of  egotism  appears  from  the  statement  herein  may  be 


UP    THE    TENNESSEE.  63 

credited  to  the  grateful   recognition  of  an  obligation  long 
existing. 

Toward  evening  the  grand  movement  began  to  assume 
practical  shape.  From  the  levee,  from  the  river  banks,  above 
and  below,  from  out  behind  islands,  here  and  there,  one 
steamer  followed  another — more  than  three  score  in  all  — 
and  like  a  gigantic  blue  serpent  the  long  line  glided  into  the 
Tennessee.  At  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  Fifty-fifth 
was  moving  towards  the  heart  of  the  Confederacy.  Behind 
were  happy  homes  and  the  hopes  and  fears  of  the  loyal 
North.  Before  was  the  unconquered  and  defiant  rebellion. 
In  God's  own  time  these  same  heroes  met  the  hosts  of  this 
rebellion  upon  their  chosen  ground  and  struggled  mightily 
and  prevailed. 

As  morning  dawned  the  beautiful  Kentucky  scenery  on 
cither  hand  was  visible.  The  progress  of  the  fleet  up  the 
swollen  river  was  a  sight  not  to  be  seen  twice  in  a  lifetime, 
and  never  to  be  forgotten.  The  river  itself  was  beautiful, 
barely  six  hundred  yards  in  width,  with  high,  well-wooded 
banks,  but  adorned  with  few  marks  of  advanced  civilization. 
The  black  smoke  from  more  than  a  hundred  tall  pipes  rolled 
away  in  clouds  over  the  forest,  verily  a  "cloud  by  day  and  a 
pillar  of  fire  by  night,"  to  mark  the  progress  of  liberty.  The 
journey  up  the  river  was  fraught  with  no  great  interest  aside 
from  its  novelty  and  the  magnificent  spectacle  of  the  expedi 
tion  itself.  Fort  Henry  was  soon  passed,  and  its  water-soaked 
ruins  viewed  with  some  curiosity.  Stopping  occasionally  for 
wood,  or  in  the  language  of  the  commissary  sergeant,  to 
"cramp  stave  bolts  for  fuel,"  the  Hannibal  arrived  at  Savan 
nah  about  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  March  nth.  This 
was  the  shire  town  of  the  county  in  which  the  then  obscure 
Pittsburgh  Landing  was  embraced.  It  was  a  pleasant  country 
village,  the  prominent  feature  from  the  river  front  being  then 
as  now  the  fine  residence  subsequently  used  by  General  Grant 
as  headquarters,  where  he  sat  at  breakfast  when  the  vibra 
tions  from  the  first  shots  at  Shiloh  fell  upon  his  ear.  This 
mansion  belonged  to  a  Mr.  Cherry,  a  name  worthy  of  preser 
vation  because  he  was  the  leading  Union  man  of  that  vicinity. 
As  night  approached  patrols  were  sent  out  through  the  town 


64  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

from  the  Fifty-fifth,  consisting  of  parts  of  Companies  A  and 
I,  and  perhaps  others.  The  next  day  battalion  drill  with 
knapsacks  took  place,  while  the  steamboats  were  purified, 
Captain  Bird  of  Company  C  acting  as  major.  Wagons  were 
dispatched  into  the  country  a  short  distance,  in  charge  of 
Commissary  Sergeant  Fisher,  for  forage.  Considerable  Union 
sentiment  was  discovered,  and  numerous  persons  who  had 
been  in  hiding  from  oppression  came  in  and  enlisted  in  some 
of  the  Ohio  regiments.  It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  this 
county  is  now  a  Republican  stronghold  with  officers  of  that 
ilk,  and  that  a  prosperous  Grand  Army  post  exists  at  Syan- 
nah. 

At  the  hour  of  noon  on  March  I4th  a  fleet,  consisting  of 
nineteen  steamboats  and  one  gunboat,  carrying  twelve  regi 
ments  of  infantry,  six  companies  of  cavalry  and  one  battery, 
started  up  the  Tennessee  River  from  Savannah.  It  was  Sher 
man's  division  of  the  army  of  invasion,  and  with  it  of  course 
was  the  Fifty-fifth.  The  expedition  had  for  its  immediate 
object  the  destruction  of  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  Rail 
road  at  any  attainable  point  within  reach  of  the  river,  between 
Corinth  and  luka.  A  few  miles,  and  Pittsburgh  Landing  was 
passed,  but  two  days'  carnage  had  not  yet  happened  in  its 
vicinity  to  make  it  an  object  of  notoriety.  The  head  of  the 
floating  column  reached  Tyler's  Landing  at  seven  in  the  after 
noon,  and  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night  the  cavalry,  and  with  it 
Major  Sanger  of  the  general's  staff,  started  to  reach  Burns- 
ville,  nineteen  miles  inland.  During  the  night  it  began  to 
rain  as  though  the  windows  of  heaven  had  opened.  At  four 
o'clock  in  the  morning  Stuart's  brigade  disembarked  in  the 
driving  rainstorm.  The  river  was  rising  rapidly,  and  a  bayou, 
the  head  of  which  was  immediately  above  the  landing,  was 
already  flowing  with  the  inrushing  water.  Just  as  daylight 
appeared  the  troops  went  plunging  through  this  midleg  deep, 
but  in  no  wise  deficient  in  enthusiasm.  After  wallowing  and 
wading  across  the  muddy  bottom,  the  bluffs  were  reached 
about  a  half  mile  away.  Three  miles  out  messengers  were 
met,  who  reported  that  the  creeks  in  the  interior  were  impas 
sable  and  rapidly  rising.  Upon  such  news  being  confirmed 
by  Major  Sanger  in  person,  obedience  was  grudgingly  yielded 


A    FRUITLESS    EXPEDITION.  65 

to  the  elements,  and  the  column  countermarched.  Arriving 
at  the  point  overlooking  the  river  bottom  a  lake  intervened 
between  the  bluff  and  the  boats.  The  battery  first  essayed 
to  cross,  but  was  obliged  to  cut  the  traces  to  save  the  horses, 
and  the  guns  were  left  in  the  water,  from  which  they  were 
finally  recovered  by  the  use  of  long  ropes.  It  was  utterly 
impossible  for  infantry  to  march  through  the  intervening 
mass  of  raging  waters.  During  the  day  yawl-boats  were 
brought  from  the  steamers,  and  with  the  aid  of  gang-planks 
a  precarious  bridge  was  constructed,  over  which  the  troops 
passed  to  the  landing.  Had  not  the  unexampled  flood  inter 
fered  with  the  expedition  it  is  almost  certain  that  the  rebel 
troops  from  Burnsville  and  luka  would  have  been  met.  In 
that  case  Chalmers  and  his  Mississippians  would  have  grap 
pled  with  the  stout  men  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  as  they  did  a.  few 
weeks  later  at  Shiloh.  The  river  rose  fifteen  feet  in  twenty- 
three  hours,  and  the  whole  country  from  the  mouth  of 
Yellow  Creek  to  Pittsburgh  Landing  was  under  water.  Gen 
eral  Hurlbut.,  although  exercising  no  authority,  was  upon 
the  boat  occupied  by  the  Fifty-fifth.  "Where  two  or  three 
are  gathered  together,"  like  Stuart  and  Hurlbut-,  the  spirit 
always  descended,  thus  fulfilling  a  promise  evidently  not 
intended  for  their  benefit. 

General  Sherman  having  personally  ascended  the  river  as 
high  as  Eastport,  and  finding  the  railway  unapproachable,  the 
whole  fleet  dropped  down,  on  the  night  of  March  I5th,  to  a 
point  nineteen  miles  below  Tyler's  Landing.  The  place  of 
halting  was  the  now  historical  Pittsburgh  Landing. 


CHAPTER   II. 


THE    BATTLE    OF    SHILOH. 

AT  Pittsburgh  Landing  the  high  bluffs  came  to  the  river 
bank,  affording  a  good  foot-hold  for  debarkation.  This 
natural  conformation  of  worthless  ridges  of  land  is  accounta 
ble  for  the  pregnant  fact  that  it  became  a  point  of  occupation, 
and  that  the  Federal  army  was  placed  within  the  reach  of 
the  dashing  strategy  of  Johnston  and  Beauregard.  From  the 
river  at  this  place  various  roads  ran  into  the  country,  and  as 
poor  as  they  were  they  made  such  places  as  Corinth,  Purdy, 
Bethel,  Hamburgh  and  Crump's  Landing  accessible,  and  all 
had  an  important  bearing  upon  thrilling  events  close  at  hand. 
The  roads,  ridges  and  ravines  which  marked  and  furrowed 
the  interior  became  land-marks  in  a  great  battle,  a  description 
of  which,  so  far  as  they  affected  the  Fifty-fifth,  is  postponed 
until  we  meet  that  regiment  in  the  sulphurous  flames  of 
Shiloh. 

Pittsburgh  Landing,  now  so  famous,  then  excited  nothing 
but  disgust  and  ridicule,  and  indeed  it  deserved  no  better 
tribute.  A  small,  dilapidated  storehouse  was  the  only  build 
ing  there,  having  reference  to  business.  Up  the  bluff  through 
a  ravine  ran  the  miserable  road  from  the  river,  its  course 
marked  by  the  unfathomable  yellow  mud  of  that  region. 
Just  at  the  right,  where  the  road  ascended  the  hill,  a  small 
field  was  located,  sloping  toward  the  water,  and  in  it  was  a 
double  log  house  of  uncouth  construction.  There  had  been 
a  slight  skirmish  here  a  few  weeks  before  between  a  Federal 
gunboat  with  a  small  force,  and  a  rebel  regiment.  In  the 


AT    LOCUST    CREEK.  67 

field  before  mentioned,  exposed  by  the  action  of  the  recent 
rains,  could  be  seen  the  ghastly  remains  of  two  or  three  Con 
federate  victims  of  that  conflict.  This  same  field  has  now 
resting  in  its  bosom  the  remains  of  3590  brave,  loyal  soldiers. 
They  are  sleeping  in  a  state  over  which  rules  a  governor  who 
lost  a  limb  in  the  same  battle  where  they  lost  their  lives.  He 
is  living  and  is  honored  among  men  because  he  was  a  rebel. 
They  lie  dead,  and  mostly  in  unnamed  graves,  because  they 
were  patriots. 

About  the  landing  many  boats  were  grouped  containing 
the  elements  of  Hurlbut's  and  other  divisions,  but  no  en 
campments  had  as  yet  been  established.  It  appears  from 
some  of  the  orders  issued  that  it  was  at  first  intended  to  keep 
Sherman's  division  on  board  steamboats  to  act  as  a  movable 
column  in  seeking  a  place  along  the  river  where  the  railroads 
might  be  vulnerable,  but  the  unprecedented  high  water  de 
feated  any  farther  attempt,  as  it  had  already  one,  to  that 
end.  Sunday  evening  of  March  i6th  the  Fifty-fifth,  with  the 
rest  of  the  brigade  to  which  it  belonged,  filed  up  the  hill  into 
the  woods  west  of  the  landing.  The  weather  had  become 
clear  and  frosty,  and  in  the  thick  woods  about  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  away,  the  regiment  passed  its  first  night  without 
shelter.  On  the  following  morning,  with  three  days'  rations 
and  forty  rounds  of  cartridges,  the  march  was  slowly  resumed 
over  what  afterwards  became  the  battle-field.  It  was  found 
to  be  an  uninteresting  tract  of  country,  cut  up  by  rough 
ravines  and  ridges,  and  for  the  most  part  covered  with  oak 
timber.  Here  and  there  an  irregular  field  and  rude  cabin 
indicated  a  puny  effort  at  agriculture.  The  course  taken  by 
Stuart's  brigade  carried  it  along  what  was  then  as  now  known 
as  the  Hamburgh  road,  which  turned  to  the  left  from  the 
main  Corinth  road  about  one  mile  from  the  river.  From  the 
point  of  divergence  this  road  circles  around  the  heads  of  the 
rugged  gullies,  and  so  far  as  possible  following  the  high 
ground,  makes  its  way  to  Hamburgh,  an  insignificant  landing 
place  four  miles  above  Pittsburgh.  About  three  miles  out  a 
small  branch  of  Lick  Creek  crosses  the  road.  Upon  this 
branch,  called  thereabouts  Locust  Creek,  the  Fifty-fifth  slept 
the  night  of  March  I7th,  and  at  a  point  about  eighty  rods 


68  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

east  of  the  little  peach  orchard,  which  was  its  encampment  at 
the  opening  of  the  battle. 

On  the  next  day  the  brigade  went  to  the  boats,  and  with 
its  teams  and  complete  outfit  returned  to  the  former  bivouac, 
and  without  shelter  endured  a  heavy  rainstorm  all  night. 
The  Tennessee  woods  were  fast  putting  on  the  garb  of  spring, 
and  the  peach  trees  thus  early  showing  their  pink  flowers. 
This  was  a  sort  of  tropical  revelation  to  these  lusty  Northern 
soldiers,  who  were  stretching  their  thews  and  sinews  in  the 
bracing  air  of  the  next  morning.  It  was  a  striking  contrast 
to  those  who  had  been  accustomed  to  the  blustering,  cold 
winds  of  March,  as  they  rush  to  and  fro  over  the  prairies  of 
Illinois. 

In  selecting  and  preparing  camping-grounds,  a  beautiful 
little  peach  orchard  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  Fifty-fifth.  Next 
to  the  right  and  in  the  oak  thickets,  was  the  Fifty-fourth 
Ohio,  and  beyond  it  and  just  at  the  junction  of  the  Ham 
burgh  and  Purdy  roads,  encamped  the  swift-footed  Seventy- 
first  Ohio.  All  were  south  of  the  Hamburgh  road,  there 
trending  a  little  southeast  on  its  course  to  the  river.  Imme 
diately  south  of  all  the  camps  of  the  brigade,  and  within 
easy  distance — say  a  hundred  yards  from  the  color  line  — 
rippled  Locust  Creek,  running  due  east,  and  soon  absorbed  in 
the  greater  volume  of  Lick  Creek.  Upon  the  opposite  side 
of  Locust  Creek,  and  near  the  camps,  uprose  a  rugged  line 
of  bluffs,  dominating  all  the  country  in  the  vicinity.  At  the 
left  of  the  Fifty-fifth  there  was  a  group  of  three  or  four  log 
cabins,  aforetime  squalid  domiciles  of  certain  human  beings 
held  as  chattels  by  a  tenure  fully  recognized  in  the  morals, 
religion  and  statutes  of  the  South.  Across  the  road,  at  a 
point  about  midway  between  the  camps  of  the  Fifty-fifth  and 
Fifty-fourth,  Colonel  Stuart  located  the  brigade  headquarters 
in  a  white,  frame  dwelling-house  of  some  pretension  for  that 
region.  Pittsburgh  Landing  was  about  one  mile  and  three- 
quarters  away,  in  a  direct  line  north.  The  road  to  that  place, 
however,  formed  a  semi-circle  for  the  purpose  of  finding  an 
easier  route  around  the  terrific  ravines  running  to  the  river, 
so  that  about  three  miles'  travel  was  necessary  when  going  to 
the  steamboats.  All  the  ground  which  the  brigade  occupied 


SHILOH    CHURCH.  69 

belonged  at  that  time  to  one  Noah  Cantrill,  and  has  now  de 
scended  to  his  heirs,  who  live  upon  it.  To  the  right  of  the 
Fifty-fifth  was  a  pretty  little  ravine*  running  into  Locust  Creek 
at  right  angles  with  it,  along  which  were  located  the  cooking 
devices  and  ovens  of  the  soldiers.  Due  east  was  about  one- 
quarter  of  a  mile  of  field,  bluff  and  ravine,  and  beyond  it 
another  quarter  of  muddy  bottom,  which  reached  to  the  river, 
All  the  camps  were  beautiful,  convenient  and  healthy,  with 
wood,  water  and  parade  ground  close  at  hand.  The  scenery 
abounded  in  deep  ravines,  sparkling  waters,  rugged  bluffs  and 
beautiful  foliage.  In  short,  as  a  soldier's  abiding  place  it  was 
admirable.  In  a  military  sense,  as  to  its  defensibility  when 
attacked,  and  in  its  relation  to  other  troops,  the  location  was 
simply  atrocious. 

The  remaining  three  brigades  of  the  Fifth  division,  in  their 
route  from  the  landing  followed  the  Corinth  road,  and  stopped 
contiguous  to  "Shiloh  church,"  a  little  log  building  in  the 
woods,  where  the  people  of  the  vicinage  were  wont  to  meet 
on  the  Sabbath  and  listen  to  sermons  about  the  beauties  of 
African  slavery,  and  to  pray  for  the  success  of  the  Southern 
Confederacy.  Stuart's  brigade  was  just  about  two  miles  away 
from  the  nearest  troops  of  its  own  division.  The  purpose  of 
this  distribution  of  Sherman's  forces  was  to  guard  the  whole 
front  between  Owl  and  Lick  Creeks,  leaving  space  enough  in 
the  rear  for  the  cantonments  of  subsequent  arrivals.  The 
location  of  the  forces  at  Pittsburgh  Landing  was  ordered  by 
General  Charles  F.  Smith.  The  establishment  of  the  line 
and  its  tactical  arrangement  was  the  work  of  General  Sher 
man,  and  that  the  subsequent  battle  was  fought  under  its 
accompanying  disadvantages,  and  with  so  little  notice  of 
the  approach  of  the  enemy,  is  equally  due  to  the  same  great 
general. 

Near  Stuart's  headquarters,  and  assigned  to  the  brigade, 
was  Stone's  battery,  which  was  removed,  however,  before  its 
services  were  needed.  General  Sherman's  order  of  March 
1 9th  stated,  in  regard  to  Stuart's  troops,  as  follows:  "The 
Second  brigade  will  camp  on  the  Hamburgh  road  where  the 
Purdy  road  comes  in  near  Colonel  Stuart's  headquarters." 
At  the  close  of  the  order  above  referred  to,  the  following  is 


7°  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

directed  to  the  whole  division:  "Each  brigade  must  encamp 
looking  west,  so  that  when  the  regiments  are  on  their  regi 
mental  parades  the  brigade  will  be  in  line  of  battle.  The 
intervals  between  regiments  must  not  exceed  twenty-two 
paces."  In  point  of  fact,  Stuart's  brigade  camped  so  as  to 
face  exactly  south,  and  an  interval  of  one  hundred  paces  ex 
isted  between  its  different  regiments,  and  the  encampments 
of  its  three  battalions  occupied,  from  one  extreme  to  the 
other,  over  one-half  mile  of  sacred  soil.  If  on  the  morning 
of  Shiloh  these  troops  had  been  attacked  as  suddenly  and 
with  as  little  opportunity  for  preparation  as  was  Prentiss, 
neither  of  Stuart's  regiments  would  have  been  in  its  proper 
place  in  the  brigade,  nor  its  flanks  connected  with  any  other 
organized  body.  A  curious  and  thoroughly  characteristic 
illustration  of  the  unsoldierly  carelessness  of  the  time  may 
be  found  in  the  statement  that,  by  General  Sherman's  order 
of  March  gth,  the  Fifty-fifth  was  assigned  to  the  right  of  the 
brigade,  while  its  camp  was  on  the  extreme  left  of  it,  and  in 
the  battle  which  soon  followed,  the  regiment  was  in  the 
centre. 

The  elaboration  of  these  details  may  seem  tedious  to 
some,  but  they  were  then  important  and  are  now  historical. 
On  this  very  ground  and  within  a  few  days'  time  the  Fifty- 
fifth  Illinois  and  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  stood,  a  stalwart  obstruc 
tion  across  the  pathway  of  the  grand  left  wheel  by  which 
Albert  Sidney  Johnston  sought  to  sweep  away  the  army  of 
the  Union.  Exactly  upon  this  part  of  the  field  the  issue  of 
a  great  battle  impinged  upon  these  two  regiments;  and  there 
alone,  without  experience,  without  generals  and  without 
artillery,  they  fought  mightily  for  the  saving  of  a  nation.* 
Then  the  ground  which  was  under  the  feet  of  these  men,  the 
trees  which  waved  over  them,  and  the  rills  which  rippled  by 
them  are  worthy  of  an  abler  pen  than  will  be  likely  to  touch 
the  theme. 

In  the  agreeable  labor  of  preparing  quarters  in  this  sylvan 
retreat,  and  at  moderate  drill,  the  next  four  days  were  spent. 
The  details  for  guard  duty  were  light.  The  most  distant 
pickets  on  the  front  were  located  not  over  one  hundred  yards 
away,  and  were  under  the  bluff  on  the  opposite  side  of  Locust 


RECONNOISSANCE  TO  MONTEREY.        71 

Creek.  They  could  have  seen  no  approaching  foe  until  di 
rectly  over  their  heads  and  within  gunshot  of  the  camps. 

On  March  24th,  in  pursuance  of  orders  from  the  division 
commander,  the  brigade,  under  Colonel  Stuart,  marched 
directly  toward  Corinth  to  Monterey,  an  interior  hamlet  —  a 
sort  of  half-way  point  to  the  rebel  stronghold.  It  was  a 
reconnoissance,  and  a  tramp  of  ten  miles  over  the  rough 
ridges  and  across  the  muddy  creeks  which  intervene  between 
the  starting  place  and  Pea  Ridge.  The  weather  was  delight 
ful,  but  the  twenty  miles  of  travel  was  sufficiently  tiresome 
to  the  troops,  unaccustomed  as  they  were  to  marching.  The 
rank  and  file  of  course  had  no  knowledge  of  the  object  of 
the  expedition,  and  clamored  lustily  to  be  led  to  Corinth. 
General  Sherman,  upon  hearing  these  pugnacious  expressions 
as  he  passed  by,  remarked  that  there  were  sixty-thousand 
rebels  there.  In  this  he  was  greatly  mistaken,  but  there  were 
enough  to  have  overwhelmed  Stuart's  brigade,  notwithstand 
ing  its  conceit. 

From  the  notes  of  C.  C.  Davis  of  Company  G,  who  was 
postmaster  of  the  regiment,  it  is  learned  that  Chicago  daily 
papers  cost  at  the  landing  fifteen  cents  each.  From  the 
same  source  it  is  ascertained  that  Orderly  Roberts,  who  had 
been  left  at  Paducah  sick,  returned  to  the  regiment  on  April 
2d,  and  so  by  a  narrow  margin  of  time  his  company  gained 
the  presence  of  that  fine  soldier  for  the  approaching  battle. 
On  Tuesday,  March  25th,  Captain  Clay  was  officer  of  the 
day,  and  succeeded  in  making  his  only  capture  for  the  war  in 
the  person  of  Sergeant  Henry  Augustine  of  Company  A, 
who  incurred  his  suspicion  of  being  noisy  after  taps.  The 
matter  was  laboriously  adjudicated  by  a  court-martial,  com 
posed  of  Captains  Chandler,  Wright,  Thurston,  and  Lieuten 
ant  Lawrence,  and  Captain  Clay  censured  by  the  verdict, 
while  the  sergeant  went  scot  free.  Company  and  battalion 
drill  were  practiced  with  considerable  industry,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Malmborg  being  in  command  of  the  regiment. 
Captain  Bird  acted  as  major,  and  had  more  than  the  average 
knowledge  of  drill  found  among  line  officers  at  that  time. 
Few  combined  movements  occurred  to  afford  any  test  of  the 


72  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

capacity  of  the  brigade  commander,  although  he  looked 
right  gallant  when  mounted  and  surrounded  by  his  staff. 

General  Prentiss  was  given  command  of  an  embryo  divis 
ion  on  March  26th,  and,  as  new  regiments  arrived,  he  began 
the  organization  of  it  to  the  right  and  front  of  Stuart's  loca 
tion,  and  nearly  one  mile  away.  The  remaining  divisions 
occupied,  irregularly  and  without  much  system,  the  ground 
to  the  right  and  rear.  Directly  to  the  rear  of  Stuart's  brigade 
was  a  space  of  rough  country  stretching  inland  from  the 
Tennessee  somewhat  more  than  half  a  mile,  and  entirely  un 
occupied  by  troops  all  the  way  to  Pittsburgh  Landing.  In 
other  words,  had  this  brigade  been  removed,  or  had  it  run 
away  upon  the  approach  of  danger,  a  broad  way  was  opened 
to  flank  the  entire  army  and  capture  the  base  of  supplies. 
If  this  had  happened,  the  battle  order  of  the  Confederate 
commander  would  literally  have  been  complied  with.  It  is 
deliberately  recorded,  and  with  a  full  knowledge  of  its  his 
torical  significance,  that  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  and  the  Fifty- 
fourth  Ohio  were  the  only  armed  obstruction  in  the  way  of 
the  execution  of  that  order,  so  far  as  it  related  to  the  extreme 
left  flank  of  the  Union  army,  during  the  first  of  the  two  days' 
battle  of  Shiloh.  The  order  spoken  of,  or  rather  the  portion 
of  it  referred  to,  is  as  follows: 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  > 
CORINTH,  April  3,  1862.  ) 

*****  in  the  approaching  battle  every  effort  should  be  made  to 
turn  the  left  flank  of  the  enemy  so  as  to  cut  off  his  line  of  retreat  to  the 
Tennessee  River,  and  throw  him  back  on  Owl  Creek,  where  he  will  be 
obliged  to  surrender.  *  *  *  * 

By  command  of  Gen.  A.  S.  Johnston. 

THOMAS  JORDAN,  Adjutant- General. 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  manful  resistance  of  two  of  Stuart's 
regiments,  Chalmers'  and  Jackson's  brigades  of  the  rebel  army 
could  have  been  at  Pittsburgh  Landing  before  noon  of  April 
6th,  if  they  had  pursued  the  direct  route.  The  details  of  the 
struggle  which  prevented  this  dire  calamity  belong  to  the 
events  of  a  battle  soon  to  be  related. 

A  grand  review  and  inspection  of  the  army  occurred  on 
Wednesday,  April  2d,  in  which  Stuart's  brigade  filled  a  space 


THE    FIRST    ALARM.  73 

along  the  Hamburgh  Purely  road  about  two  miles  west  of  its 
camps.  On  Friday,  April  4th,  forty  men,  partly  from  the 
Fifty-fifth  and  all  under  the  direction  of  the  first-lieutenant 
of  Company  I  of  that  regiment,  worked  through  the  day 
repairing  a  road  across  Locust  Creek.  The  talk  then  was 
that  Buell's  troops  were  going  to  land  at  Hamburgh,  and  that 
the  road  was  for  their  benefit.  The  first  use  it  was  put  to 
was  to  smooth  the  way  for  Clanton's  cavalry  to  reconnoitre 
the  Federal  left  on  the  morning  of  April  6th.  On  the 
evening  of  April  4th,  just  after  the  dress-parade,  firing  was 
heard  to  the  right  and  in  the  direction  of  Shiloh  church. 
The  customary  drum  signal  of  danger  "  rolled  "  along  the 
front  of  the  army  and  the  men  quickly  got  under  arms.  It 
was  a  slight  affair  of  one  of  Buckland's  regiments  accident 
ally  colliding  with  the  advance  of  the  Rebel  army,  and 
should  have  been  accepted  as  notice  of  peril  by  the  generals 
at  the  front.  It  served  no  such  purpose,  however,  though 
Stuart's  brigade,  too  far  away  to  be  lulled  into  security  by 
the  soothing  assurances  of  superiors,  sent  out  strong  re- 
enforcements  to  its  pickets.  A  terrific  rain  followed  during 
the  greater  portion  of  that  night  and  demonstrated  to  the 
officers  on  duty  the  wonderful  adaptability  of  the  little 
Zouave  caps  then  worn,  for  pouring  an  uninterrupted  stream 
of  rain-water  down  the  spinal  column.  It  was  this  storm 
more  than  anything  else  which  delayed  the  concentration 
and  deployment  of  the  Confederate  army  in  time  to  bring  on 
the  battle  Saturday,  as  was  intended. 

On  the  next  day,  Stone's  battery,  hitherto  located  upon 
the  extreme  left,  took  its  departure  in  accordance  with 
orders  emanating  from  the  Army  Commander.  No  other 
was  sent  to  replace  it  and  that  flank  was  therefore  left  to 
such  protection  as  the  infantry  could  afford.  All  through 
the  pleasant  Saturday  the  routine  of  drill  and  camp  was 
pursued  without  alarm  or  suspicion.  The  sound  of  the 
drums  which  called  the  Federal  troops  to  the  parade 
ground  fell  with  almost  equal  distinctness  upon  the  ears  of 
a  mighty  opposing  host  crouching  in  the  woods  beyond. 
Along  the  disintegrated  Union  line,  from  McDowell's  brigade 
on  the  right  to  Stuart's  brigade  on  the  left,  not  one  act  took 


74  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

place  indicating  preparation  to  meet  an  attack.  All  the 
numerous  and  usual  means  at  hand  for  testing  the  approach 
of  a  hostile  army  seem  to  have  been  in  a  state  of  "innocuous 
desuetude."  So  this  day  which  preceded  one  of  the  greatest 
battles  of  modern  times,  passed  in  contentment.  As  its 
hours  slipped  into  eternity  they  were  fully  utilized  by  the 
Confederates  in  deploying  two  lines  of  battle  between  Owl 
and  Lick  Creeks,  with  reserves  close  at  hand,  almost  within 
cannon  shot  of  the  Federal  camps.  After  having  methodi 
cally  completed  these  fateful  preparations,  the  day  being  too 
far  spent  to  proceed  with  the  assault,  all  the  Major-Generals 
of  the  rebel  army  met  in  council  under  the  trees  within 
less  than  two  miles  of  General  Sherman's  headquarters. 
Indeed,  when  looking  at  the  serene  dispatches  of  Saturday, 
one  is  led  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Federal  army  was  there 
for  sanitary  purposes,  and  the  country  roundabout  Pittsburgh 
Landing  was  a  health  resort. 

Lest  these  statements  seem  extravagant,  a  few  quotations 
are  made  from  such  dispatches,  all  of  which  may  be  found 
in  Volume  X,  parts  i  and  n,  of  the  Official  Records  of  the 
Rebellion,  and  were  written  less  than  twenty-four  hours 
before  the  death-grapple  commenced.  General  Grant,  in 
writing  to  General  Halleck,  says:  "I  have  scarcely  the 
faintest  idea  that  an  attack  (general  one)  will  be  made  upon 
us;"  and  again:  —  "General  Nelson's  division  has  arrived. 
The  other  two  of  General  Buell's  column  will  arrive  tomorrow 
or  next  day.  It  is  my  present  intention  to  send  them  to 
Hamburgh,  some  four  miles  above  Pittsburgh,  when  they  get 
here.  From  that  point  to  Corinth  the  road  is  good  and  a 
junction  can  be  formed  at  almost  any  point.  Colonel  Mc- 
Phcrson  has  gone  with  an  escort  today  to  examine  the  ground 
about  Hamburgh,  and  lay  out  the  position  of  the  camps,  if 
advisable  to  occupy  the  place."  In  another  dispatch  he  says: 
"The  main  force  of  the  enemy  is  at  Corinth,  with  troops  at 
different  points  east."  This  reassuring  statement  is  followed 
by  the  further  assertion  in  the  same  dispatch,  that  "the 
number  of  the  enemy  at  Corinth  and  within  supporting  dis 
tance  of  it  cannot  be  far  from  80,000."  On  the  same  day  and 
at  a  time  when  every  man  of  the  rebel  army  was  within  six 


THE    GENERAL'S    DELUSION.  75 

miles  of  Shiloh  church,  and  most  of  them  nearer,  General 
Grant  dispatched  from  Savannah  to  General  Buell  as  follows: 
"I  will  be  here  to  meet  you  tomorrow.  The  enemy  at  and 
near  Corinth  are  probably  from  6o,OOO  to  8o,OOO."  General 
Ammen,  who  commanded  the  first  of  Buell's  brigades  to  arrive 
at  Savannah,  states  in  his  diary  of  events  filed  with  his  official 
report,  the  following  as  occurring  on  Saturday:  "  About 
three  p.  M.  General  Grant  and  General  Nelson  came  to  my 
tent.  General  Grant  declined  to  dismount,  as  he  had  an 
engagement.  In  answer  to  my  remark  that  our  troops  were 
not  fatigued  and  could  march  to  Pittsburgh  Landing  if  nec 
essary,  General  Grant  said:  "You  cannot  march  through 
the  swamps.  Make  the  troops  comfortable.  I  will  send 
boats  for  you  Monday.  There  will  be  no  fight  at  Pittsburgh 
Landing;  we  wifl  have  to  go  to  Corinth,  where  the  rebels  are 
fortified." 

It  should  be  stated  in  extenuation  of  the  delusion  of 
General  Grant,  however,  that  he  received  from  the  ex 
treme  front,  and  from  his  trusted  subordinate,  General  Sher 
man,  on  the  same  day  the  following  words:  "All  is  quiet 
along  our  line  now.  We  are  in  the  act  of  exchanging  cavalry, 
according  to  your  order.  The  enemy  has  cavalry  in  our 
front,  and  I  think  there  are  two  regiments  of  infantry  and 
one  battery  about  two  miles  out."  This  latter  statement  is 
now  known  to  be  an  under  estimate  of  the  enemy  "about  two 
miles  out "  of  more  than  forty  thousand.  That  the  cavalry 
was  being  exchanged  "according  to  order,"  is  a  sufficient 
statement  that  the  "eyes  of  the  army"  were  closed  by  official 
action.  In  another  dispatch  of  same  date  General  Sherman 
said:  "I  have  no  doubt  that  nothing  will  occur  today  more 
than  picket  firing." 

While  these  placid  remarks  were  passing  to  and  fro,  and 
almost  at  the  precise  hour,  Generals  Johnston,  Beauregard, 
Bragg,  Hardee,  Polk  and  Breckenridge  were  discussing  the 
plans  of  the  impending  battle  within  one  and  one-half  miles 
of  General  Sherman's  own  tent.  To  their  right  and  left, 
eight  hundred  yards  apart,  stretched  two  compact  lines  of 
battle,  with  reserves  close  in  rear.  At  that  conference,  as  is 
now  well  known,  General  Beauregard  suggested  a  retreat  to 


76  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

Corinth,  because  in  his  opinion  the  Confederate  movement  of 
three  days  had  been  too  slow  to  render  a  surprise  possible. 
His  reasoning  was  based  upon  sound  military  principles,  and 
was  in  accordance  with  all  human  probabilities.  He  did  not 
know  the  sublime  indifference  the  inspiration  of  genius  some 
times  has  for  practical  facts.  Can  any  inference  be  drawn 
from  the  above  consistent  with  vigilance  on  the  part  of  the 
Union  commanders?  Was  not  the  terrible  onslaught,  born  of 
the  desperation  of  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  a  "surprise"  in 
the  broadest  military  sense?  Can  there  be  any  doubt  but 
that  when  General  Sherman  came  to  write  his  report  of  the 
battle  of  Shiloh,  and  said,  "about  eight  o'clock  A.  M.  I  saw 
the  glistening  bayonets  of  heavy  masses  of  infantry  to  our 
left  and  front  in  the  woods  beyond  the  small  stream  alluded 
to,  and  became  satisfied  for  the  first  time  th£t  the  enemy  de 
signed  a  determined  attack  on  our  whole  camp,"  he  desig 
nated  the  precise  moment  when  first  he  appreciated  the 
magnitude  of  the  occasion?  Is  it  not  clear  from  his  own 
words,  that  as  he  sat  upon  his  horse  on  the  point  of  bluff  in 
front  of  the  Fifty-third  Ohio,  where  his  orderly  was  shot  be 
side  him,  and  looked  over  across  "Shiloh  branch,"  that  he 
then  came  down  from  the  clouds  of  speculation  and  his  great 
genius  condescended  to  notice  the  practical  fact  that  a  great 
battle  had  commenced?  But  it  was  too  late  to  make  com 
bined  and  well-ordered  movements.  It  was  too  late  to  use 
generalship.  It  was  too  late  to  send  any  words  of  advice  or 
encouragement  to  Stuart's  detached  brigade  two  miles  away, 
and  General  Sherman  turned  to  his  men  close  at  hand  to  do 
such  duty  as  the  lack  of  forethought  left  possible. 

Through  the  endless  discussion  since  the  war  certain  his 
torical  conclusions  have  been  definitely  arrived  at.  Chief 
among  them  are  these:  that  the  great  surprise  of  the  war  in 
a  military  sense  occurred  then  and  there;  that  a  Confederate 
army  of  over  forty  thousand  men,  moving  in  three  days'  time 
less  than  twenty  miles,  compelled  the  opposing  army  to  ac 
cept  battle  upon  terms,  dictated  by  them  and  strictly  upon 
the  defensive;  that  the  shock  of  battle  was  so  unexpected  by 
the  Federals  that  every  separate  and  separated  organization 
of  it  was  compelled  to  fight  according  to  circumstances  and 


POSITION    OF    UNION    TROOPS.  77 

not  according  to  design;  that  the  battle  of  the  first  day  was 
without  combination  or  head,  so  far  as  the  Union  army  was 
concerned,  and  soon  degenerated  into  a  melee  wherein  almost 
every  regiment  of  it  was  flanked  at  some  time  during  the 
conflict.  On  these  points  the  verdict  of  history  is  as  well 
settled  as  it  is  that  Generals  Grant  and  Sherman  atoned  for 
it  by  living  and  learning,  and  subsequently  becoming  trusted 
and  successful  leaders,  and,  under  Providence,  saviors  of 
human  liberty. 

The  exact  condition  of  the  Union  front  when  attacked  on 
Sunday  morning  involves  the  entire  question  of  due  diligence 
to  meet  it,  and  an  explicit  statement  of  facts  is  herein  in 
serted,  because  of  its  great  value  historically.  Moreover, 
these  facts  nowhere  appear  in  the  reports,  and  the  leading 
participants  in  the  battle,  who  have  since  become  its  chief 
historians,  either  mislead  or  fail  to  answer  inquiry  in  that 
direction.  Without  claiming  credit  for  or  describing  the 
minute  personal  work  necessary  for  the  ascertainment  of  the 
details,  such  details  are  given  with  the  assurance  that  they 
are  correct.  Upon  the  extreme  right  was  McDowell's  bri 
gade.  Next  to  the  left,  but  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant,  and 
across  a  heavy  ravine,  was  Buckland's  brigade  with  its  left 
resting  at  Shiloh  church.  Hildebrand's  brigade  then  came, 
with  its  right  at  the  church,  but  its  left  regiment,  the  Fifty- 
*third  Ohio,  detached  across  a  ravine,  two  hundred  yards 
away.  The  troops  so  far  mentioned  belonged  to  Sherman's 
division,  and  his  headquarters  were  close  in  the  rear.  To  the 
left  and  front,  about  one-half  mile  away,  were  located  the 
seven  raw  regiments  of  Prentiss'  embryo  division,  all  having 
recently  received  their  arms  —  one  having  got  its  ammunition 
only  the  night  before,  and  one  having  none  at  all  when  the 
battle  commenced.  The  interval  to  the  right  of  Prentiss  was 
in  point  of  fact  enlarged  at  the  opening  of  the  engagement 
by  the  advance  of  Prentiss  about  one  quarter  of  a  mile  to 
meet  the  Confederate  assault,  and  the  space  almost  immedi 
ately  assumed  still  more  dangerous  proportions  through  the 
cowardly  conduct  of  the  commanding  officer  of  the  Fifty- 
third  Ohio,  who  ordered  a  retreat.  To  the  left  rear  and 
forming  the  extreme  flank  in  that  quarter,  were  encamped 


78  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

Stuart's  three  regiments,  at  a  distance  of  more  than  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  from  Prentiss.  By  Stuart's  movement  to 
the  left  and  the  departure  of  the  Seventy-first  Ohio  from  his 
right,  the  interval  last  described  was  increased  to  one  full 
mile. 

A  route  touching  these  various  positions  would  be  circui 
tous  and  much  longer  than  a  direct  line  from  Owl  to  Lick 
Creek.  Less  than  one-half  of  it  was  occupied.  It  was  an 
imaginary  line,  like  the  equator.  It  was  not  a  formation  of 
troops  separated  by  occasional  spaces.  It  was  a  space  with 
bodies  of  troops  located  at  uncertain  and  distant  intervals 
upon  it.  It  is  unnecessary  to  describe  the  exact  location  of 
the  troops  in  the  rear,  which  embraced  all  the  experienced 
men  in  the  army,  for  not  one  organization  reached  the  front 
line,  but  picked  up  the  fight  in  a  desultory  manner  as  the 
Confederates  pursued  Sherman  and  Prentiss  to  the  rear  of 
their  camps.  The  flanks  of  the  army,  as  a  whole,  could  not 
have  been  better  protected  than  they  were  by  the  waters  and 
marshes  of  creeks.  The  flanks  of  its  different  sections  could 
not  have  been  more  exposed  than  they  were  by  the  nature  of 
the  ground  and  lack  of  continuity.  Every  unoccupied  space 
became  an  immediate  point  of  danger,  through  which  the  rebel 
hosts  poured,  and  flanked  each  separate  body  of  Federal 
troops.  The  attack  came  so  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  that 
the  gaps  could  not  be  filled  from  the  rear.  A  compact,  con* 
nected  line  of  Confederates,  followed  by  a  second  eight  hun 
dred  yards  in  the  rear,  met  a  disintegrated  Federal  line,  and 
the  natural  consequences  followed.  Herein  is  found  the 
substance  and  shadow  of  the  "surprise"  at  Shiloh. 

Why  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  and  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  bore 
such  a  heavy  burden  on  that  occasion  grows  out  of  the  facts 
above  stated.  A  recital  of  them,  therefore,  becomes  neces 
sary,  in  order  that  this  work  may  be  historically  correct  and 
fairly  just.  Enough  has  been  written  to  indicate  the  conclu 
sions  of  the  author,  and  assuredly  enough  has  been  quoted 
to  justify  such  conclusions. 

Saturday  night  of  April  5th  came,  and  brought  with  it  no 
sense  of  danger.  Stuart's  brigade,  sharing  in  the  delusion 
common  to  all,  retired  to  rest  unmindful  of  the  harvest  of 


STUART'S    REPORT.  79 

death  to  be  reaped  on  the  morrow.  The  few  hours  of  une 
ventful  sleep  which  followed  bring  us  face  to  face  with  the 
actual  details  of  the  great  battle  of  Shiloh.  A  description 
of  the  part  performed  therein  by  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  may 
properly  be  introduced  by  the  report  of  Colonel  Stuart,  its 
brigade  commander: 

HEADQUARTERS  SECOND  BRIGADE,  FIFTH  DIVISION, 

CAMP  SHILOH,  April  10,  1862. 

SIR: 

I  have  the  honor  to  submit  a  report  of  the  part  taken  by  Second 
Brigade  of  General  Sherman's  division  in  the  engagement  of  the  6th  and 
7th  instant: 

The  brigade,  composed  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  commanded  by 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Malmborg ;  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio,  Col.  T.  Kilby 
Smith,  and  the  Seventy-first  Ohio,  Col.  R.  Mason,  occupied  the  extreme 
left  of  the  advance,  General  Prentiss'  division  on  my  right  and  front.  In 
obedience  to  General  Sherman's  orders  I  kept  a  company  at  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Ford  of  Lick  Creek,  on  the  Hamburgh  road,  and  another  on 
and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Back  road  (coming  in  on  the  hills  opposite  and 
southeast  of  the  encampment),  as  picket  guards,  and  on  his  order  on 
Saturday,  sent  six  companies  out  on  the  Hamburgh  road,  with  a  squadron 
of  cavalry  sent  forward  by  General  McClernand,  to  reconnoitre  beyond 
Hamburgh.  The  disposition  of  my  pickets  was  reported  to  and  approved 
by  General  Sherman. 

At  7.30  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning  I  received  a  verbal  message  from 
General  Prentiss  that  the  enemy  were  in  his  front  in  force.  Soon  after 
my  pickets  sent  in  word  that  a  force,  with  artillery,  were  advancing  on 
the  Back  road.  In  a  very  short  time  I  discovered  the  Pelican  flag  ad 
vancing  in  the  rear  of  General  Prentiss'  headquarters.  I  dispatched  my 
adjutant  (Loomis,  of  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio,)  to  General  Hurlbut,  who  occu 
pied  with  his  division  the  rear  in  the  center,  to  inform  him  that  General 
Prentiss'  left  was  turned,  and  to  ask  him  to  advance  his  forces.  The 
reply  was  that  he  would  advance  immediately.  Within  fifteen  minutes 
General  Hurlbut  sent  forward  a  battery,  which  took  position  on  the  road 
immediately  by  Colonel  Mason's  (Seventy-first)  headquarters.  A  regi 
ment  (the  Forty-first  Illinois,  as  I  remember,)  formed  in  line  on  the  right 
of  this  battery. 

Observing  these  dispositions,  and  expecting  that  the  remainder  of 
General  Hurlbut's  division  would  be  up  quickly,  I  established  my  line  of 
battle  accordingly,  with  the  right  of  the  Seventy-first  Ohio  resting  oppo 
site  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  camp  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  the  Fifty- 
fifth  regiment  next,  on  the  left,  and  the  Fifty-fourth  beyond,  facing  the 
south.  I  had  two  companies  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  and  two  companies 
of  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  detached  as  skirmishers  on  the  hills  opposite  and 


80  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

across  the  creek  or  ravine  where  the  enemy  was  endeavoring  to  plant  a 
battery,  covered  by  a  much  larger  force  of  skirmishers. 

From  a  convenient  position  on  the  brow  of  the  bank  north  of  the 
creek,  with  my  glass  I  could  observe  all  their  movements.  Having  suc 
ceeded  in  planting  their  battery  in  a  commanding  position  they  opened  a 
fire  of  shell  upon  us,  under  cover  of  which  the  infantry  advanced  upon 
us  diagonally  from  the  left  of  Prentiss'  division,  and  also  from  the  right 
of  their  battery.  I  hastened  in  person  to  the  battery  I  had  left  half  an 
hour  before  in  front  of  Colonel  Mason's  tent,  to  order  them  farther  east, 
in  front  of  my  headquarters,  where  they  would  have  had  a  splendid  fire 
as  well  upon  the  enemy's  battery  as  upon  the  advancing  infantry.  The 
battery  had  left  without  firing  a  gun,  and  the  battalion  on  its  right  had 
disappeared. 

For  above  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  my  right  no  soldier  could  be  seen, 
unless  fugitives,  making  their  way  to  the  rear.  A  large  body  of  the 
enemy's  troops  were  advancing  due  north  toward  Mason's  camp,  and  I 
saw  that  the  position  of  my  brigade  was  inevitably  flanked  by  an  over 
whelming  and  unopposed  force. 

Hastening  back  to  my  brigade,  I  found  the  enemy  rapidly  advancing 
on  its  front.  The  Seventy-first  Ohio  had  fallen  back,  under  the  shelling 
of  the  enemy's  guns,  to  some  position  (as  I  am  informed  by  Colonel 
Mason)  about  150  yards  in  the  rear,  and  re-formed  on  a  ridge  of  ground 
very  defensible  for  infantry,  but  I  could  not  find  them,  and  had  no 
intimation  as  to  where  they  had  gone.  Before  I  could  change  position 
the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  and  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  were  engaged,  but  as 
soon  as  possible  I  withdrew  them  to  a  position  on  the  brow  of  a  hill,  and 
formed  a  line  which,  extended,  would  intersect  my  first  line  diagonally 
from  northwest  to  southeast. 

At  this  point  I  had  not  to  exceed  800  men  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois 
and  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio.  I  saw  nothing  more  of  the  Seventy-first 
Regiment  through  the  fight.  The  enemy's  force  of  five  regiments  of 
infantry  and  a  battery  of  four  guns,  which  had  been  moving  on  our  right 
flank,  were  here  brought  to  a  stand,  and  formed  a  line  of  battle.  A  body 
of  cavalry  was  sent  off  on  our  then  right  toward  our  rear,  to  harass  or 
cut  off  our  retreat.  A  part  of  the  force  which  had  attacked  our  first 
front  was  disposed  with  a  view  of  flanking  us  on  our  present  left. 
Against  this  latter  force  (moving  through  a  ravine,  which  had  its  mouth 
just  below  and  in  the  rear  of  our  extreme  left)  I  sent  a  detachment  of 
four  companies  of  Zouaves,  Fifty-fourth  Ohio,  under  Major  Fisher,  by 
whom  they  were  held  in  check  during  the  fight.  This  engagement 
opened,  the  enemy's  line  and  ours  being  established  at  a  distance  of 
about  fifteen  yards  apart.  At  this  point  we  fought,  and  held  them  for 
upwards  of  two  hours.  The  enemy's  lines  were  within  the  edge  of  a 
grove,  pretty  well  defended  by  trees;  the  space  between  us  was  an  open, 
level  and  smooth  field.  The  disposition  of  their  forces  was  made  delib 
erately,  and  occupied  fully  fifteen  minutes  after  we  came  upon  the 
ground. 


STUART'S    REPORT.  8l 

Inadequate  as  I  knew  my  force  to  be,  I  was  encouraged  to  fight  it  and 
hold  my  position,  first  with  the  object  of  detaining  the  enemy's  forces 
from  advancing  toward  the  river,  and  secondly  because  I  received  a 
message  from  General  McArthur,  who  appeared  in  person  somewhere  in 
my  vicinity,  to  hold  my  position,  and  that  he  would  support  me  on  my 
right. 

I  could  not  find  the  Seventy-first  Ohio  Regiment,  and  had  less  than 
800  men  under  my  command.  During  the  action  we  observed  a  battery 
planted  southeast  of  us,  in  a  commanding  position,  to  enfilade  our  line. 
It  was,  however,  employed  with  little  beyond  threatening  effect,  the 
firing  being  too  high.  We  had  received  no  support  on  our  right,  as 
promised  by  General  McArthur,  We  had  emptied  the  cartridge-boxes 
of  the  killed  and  wounded,  and  our  ammunition  was  exhausted.  Our 
fire  was  so  slackened  from  this  cause  and  our  losses  that  I  was  appre 
hensive  of  a  forward  movement  by  the  enemy,  who  could  easily  have 
overwhelmed  us  and  thrown  us  into  ruinous  confusion.  With  the  advice 
of  Colonel  Smith,  of  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Malmborg,  commanding  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  I  gave  the  order  to  fall 
back  through  the  ravine  and  re-form  on  a  hill  to  our  right.  I  led  the 
remnant  of  my  brigade  in  good  order  to  the  point  selected.  When  we 
reached  it  the  enemy  had  advanced  on  our  left  with  their  battery  and 
were  on  a  commanding  position  within  600  yards.  They  opened  a  fire  of 
shell  upon  us,  which  compelled  me  to  move  on  still  farther,  sheltering 
the  command  as  well  as  possible  by  ravines  and  circuitous  paths,  till  we 
reached  a  cavalry  camp,  where  the  brigade  was  re-formed.  On  our  way 
we  were  joined  by  a  small  remnant  of  the  Seventy-first,  under  command 
of  Adjutant  Hart,  of  that  regiment  (some  17  or  18  men).  Finding  I  was 
beyond  the  line  of  the  enemy,  after  consultation  I  ordered  the  brigade  to 
march  to  the  rear,  toward  the  landing,  in  preference  to  sending  for 
ammunition,  which  I  apprehended  would  not  reach  us.  Within  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  of  the  batteries  the  brigade  was  halted  by  an  officer  of  General 
Grant's  staff,  who  stated  that  ammunition  was  being  sent  back,  and 
ordered  that  every  fragment  of  regiments  moving  toward  the  landing 
should  be  stopped. 

Suffering  from  a  wound  I  had  received  in  my  shoulder  before  the 
termination  of  our  fight,  I  turned  the  command  over  to  Col.  T.  Kilby 
Smith,  of  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio,  the  next  in  rank,  and  proceeded  to  the 
landing  to  learn  the  extent  of  my  injury.  Colonel  Smith  left  the  com 
mand  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Malmborg  temporarily,  while  he  returned  to 
find  and  unite  with  the  brigade  the  left  wing  of  his  regiment,  which  had 
become  detached  from  us  in  their  defense  of  our  left  flank,  under  Major 
Fisher. 

Meanwhile  General  Grant,  passing,  ordered  Colonel  Malmborg  to 
form  a  line  near  the  batteries.  Major  Fisher  soon  came  in  with  his  men 
and  joined  the  line.  Through  Colonel  Malmborg's  efforts  a  line  of  over 
3,000  men  was  formed,  composed  of  remnants  of  regiments  moving 
towards  the  landing.  Major  Andrews,  of  the  Seventy-first,  here  came 
6 


82  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

up  with  a  portion  of  the  left  wing  of  his  regiment,  about  150  men,  whom 
he  had  led  to  the  bank  of  the  Tennessee,  where  he  hailed  the  gun-boats, 
informing  them  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  So  much  of  the  brigade 
were  in  the  last  engagement  near  the  batteries. 

On  Monday  morning  the  brigade  took  the  field,  under  the  command 
of  Colonel  Smith.  Its  conduct  was  under  the  observation  of  the  general 
himself.  I  was  not  able  to  do  more  than  to  make  an  effort  to  excite  the 
enthusiasm  of  the  men  and  lead  them  to  the  field  when  they  were  ordered 
forward  into  action.  I  turned  the  command  over  to  Colonel  Smith  soon 
after.  The  experience  of  Sunday  left  me  under  no  apprehension  as  to 
the  fate  of  the  brigade,  if  coolness,  deliberation,  and  personal  bravery 
could  save  it  from  loss  or  disgrace.  Colonel  Smith,  from  the  beginning 
to  the  end  of  the  engagement  on  Sunday,  was  constantly  at  his  post, 
rallying,  encouraging,  and  fighting  his  men  under  incessant  fire,  regard 
less  of  personal  safety. 

I  was  under  great  obligations  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Malmborg,  whose 
military  education  and  experience  were  of  every  importance  to  me. 
Comprehending  at  a  glance  the  purpose  and  object  of  every  movement 
of  the  enemy,  he  was  able  to  advise  me  promptly  and  intelligently  as  to 
the  disposition  of  my  men.  He  was  cool,  observant,  discreet,  and  brave, 
and  of  infinite  service  to  me.  Adjt.  Charles  Loomis,  of  the  Fifty-fourth, 
who  was  my  only  aid,  discharged  his  duties  with  the  utmost  promptness 
and  gallantry.  He  was  intelligent,  brave,  and  is  a  very  meritorious 
officer. 

It  is  my  duty  to  make  special  mention  of  Adjutant  Hart,  of  the 
Seventy-first  Regiment,  who,  having  lost  his  own  regiment,  sought  a 
place  in  the  ranks  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  and  with  17  men  of  that  regiment 
fought  there  bravely  from  first  to  last.  Every  captain  in  the  Fifty-fifth 
did  his  duty,  with  one  disgraceful  exception,  and  he  is  under  arrest. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  lieutenants,  with  one  exception,  and  he  also  is 
arrested. 

The  following  named  officers,  non-commissioned  officers,  and  privates 
are  reported  to  me  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Malmborg  as  meriting  notice 
especially:  Captain  Wright,  Co.  F,  who  was  wounded;  Captain 
Heffernan,  Co.  H;  Captain  Chandler,  Co.  D;  Captain  Slattery,  Co.  I; 
Second-Lieutenant  E.  C.  Lawrence,  Co.  B,  who  was  wounded;  Second- 
Lieutenant  Hodges,  Co.  C,  killed;  Second-Lieutenant  J.  R.  Roberts,  Co. 
D;  First-Lieutenant  Weldon,  Co.  H,  badly  wounded;  Second-Lieutenant 
Aagesen,  Co.  H,  badly  wounded;  First-Lieutenant  Crocker,  Co.  I,  badly 
wounded;  Sergeant  Glass.  Co.  A;  Corporal  Williamson,  Co.  A,  wounded; 
Corporal  Simpson,  Co.  A,  wounded;  Corporal  Erickson,  Co.  A;  Private 
Hebb,  Co.  A;  Sergeant  Elliot,  Co.  B,  badly  wounded;  Sergeant  Hunting- 
ton,  Co.  B,  badly  wounded;  Corporal  Payne,  Co.  B;  Private  Sullivan,  Co. 
B;  Private  Bradford,  Co.  B;  First-Sergeant  Partch,  Co.  C,  badly  wounded; 
Sergeant  Curtiss,  Co.  C;  Corporal  Shultz,  Co.  C,  badly  wounded;  Corporal 
Oliver,  Co.  C;  Private  Mahan,  Co.  C,  badly  wounded;  Private  Kettleson, 
Co.  C,  badly  wounded;  Sergeant  Smith,  Co.  D,  badly  wounded;  Corporal 


STUART'S    REPORT    CRITICISED.  83 

Harrell,  Co.  D,  badly  wounded;  Private  Burk,  Co.  D,  badly  wounded; 
Private  Rodenbaugh,  Co.  D,  badly  wounded;  Sergeant  Porter,  Co.  E, 
badly  wounded;  Sergeant  Short,  Co.  E;  Corporal  Campbell,  Co.  E; 
Corporal  Merrill,  Co.  E;  Private  Arndt,  Co.  E;  Private  Boltinghouse, 
Co.  E;  Sergeant  George  Sanford,  Co.  F,  wounded — dead;  First-Sergeant 
Shreves,  Co.  F,  wounded;  Corporal  Haney,  Co.  F,  wounded;  Corporal 
Ferguson,  Co.  F,  wounded;  Private  Bone,  Co.  F,  wounded;  Private 
Keffer,  Co.  F,  wounded;  Corporal  Davis,  Co.  G,  wounded;  Corporal 
Newell,  Co.  G,  wounded;  Private  Hawk,  Co,  G,  wounded;  Private  Mix, 
Co.  G,  wounded;  Sergeant  McCready,  Co.  H;  Sergeant  De  Wolf,  Co.  H, 
killed;  Sergeant  Crouch,  Co.  H,  killed;  Corporal  Richardson,  Co.  H, 
wounded;  Corporal  Healey,  Co.  H,  wounded;  Private  Adams,  Co.  H; 
Private  Beers,  Co.  H,  wounded;  Sergeant  E.  T.  Slattery,  Co.  I,  badly 
wounded;  Sergeant  Armstrong,  Co.  I,  wounded;  Corporal  Lynn,  Co.  I, 
wounded;  Corporal  Lull,  Co.  I,  wounded;  Private  Peters,  Co.  I,  wounded; 
Private  Kimberk,  Co.  I,  wounded;  Sergeant  Kendrick,  Co.  K,  wounded; 
Corporal  Hanthorn,  Co.  K,  wounded;  Corporal  Rouse,  Co.  K,  wounded. 
Respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

D.  STUART, 

Colonel,  Commanding  Second  Brigade. 
Capt.  J.  H.  Hammond, 

Assistant  Adjutant-General. 

The  above  report,  as  was  every  thing  said  or  written  by 
Colonel  Stuart,  is  brilliant  and  forcible.  No  fault  can  be 
found  with  its  diction.  Like  a  large  share  of  the  literature 
which  purports  to  be  official,  belonging  to  that  conflict,  it 
fails  to  state  or  explain  a  great  deal  which  took  place.  No 
relation  could  have  been  full  and  explicit  without  amounting 
to  a  serious  arraignment  of  superiors.  The  report  of  Colonel 
Stuart  does  not  pretend  to  detail  minutely  the  movements  of 
the  Fifty-fifth,  and,  being  a  brigade  report,  perhaps  should 
not  do  so.  An  official  document  emanating  from  the  regi 
mental  commander  should  have  attended  to  that.  It  is  need 
less  to  add  that  no  such  narrative  exists.  At  the  outset  the 
foregoing  takes  the  form  of  an  argument  to  show  due  dili 
gence  in  guard,  picket  and  patrol  duty  in  watching  the  front. 
This  would  not  have  been  at  all  necessary  had  there  not  been 
doubts  on  the  subject.  That  Colonel  Stuart  or  any  of  his 
subordinates  were  derelict  in  this  particular,  and  that  such 
short-coming  had  any  influence  on  the  battle,  has  never  been 
alleged.  The  first  attack  did  not  come  from  toward  Ham 
burgh,  nor  upon  the  front  of  the  second  brigade.  Any  recon- 


84  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

noissance  in  that  direction  would  have  failed  in  developing 
the  designs  of  the  emeny,  from  the  fact  that  they  were  not 
on  that  portion  of  the  field.  The  first  aggressive  movements 
of  the  rebels  were  all  to  the  right  and  in  front  of  Generals 
Prentiss  and  Sherman,  where,  as  has  been  already  shown, 
they  had  been  manceuvreing  with  their  whole  army  for  two 
days.  To  the  front  of  Stuart  would  be  directly  south. 
Corinth  was  southwest,  and  the  high  range  of  country,  with 
all  roads  leading  to  the  rebel  stronghold,  were  in  the  same 
direction,  and  from  that  quarter  marched  the  assailants. 
When  the  attack  did  finally  come  upon  Stuart,  it  was  not 
because  he  was  in  the  track  of  its  first  design,  but  because 
upon  the  discovery  of  this  extension  of  the  Union  left,  two 
brigades  were  disjointed  from  the  rebel  right,  and  sent  east 
full  three-quarters  of  a  mile  for  the  purpose  of  meeting  and 
defeating,  what  was  then  supposed  by  the  Confederate  com 
mander,  to  be  an  attempt  to  flank  him  on  his  right. 

The  determination  of  Colonel  Stuart  to  hold  the  extreme 
left  at  all  hazards  reflects  the  highest  credit  upon  him,  and 
places  him  in  the  front  rank  of  the  subordinate  commanders 
who  fought  on  that  field.  It  may  be  that  in  the  light  of  sub 
sequent  events  the  tactics  used  to  accomplish  his  noble 
purpose  were  somewhat  faulty,  but  they  were  necessarily 
tentative,  and  the  efforts  of  an  inexperienced  officer  who  had 
not  one  word  of  advice  from  his  superiors,  who  were  edu 
cated  in  the  art  of  war.  From  any  stand-point  his  methods 
do  not  suffer  when  compared  with  most  of  the  movements 
of  other  commanders  upon  that  tumultuous  field.  The  chief 
merit  was  in  fighting,  and  fighting  desperately;  that,  Colonel 
Stuart  determined  to  do,  and  out  of  his  resolution  grew  an 
isolated  conflict  which  probably  saved  the  battle,  and  pos 
sibly  the  unity  of  the  nation.  Nothing  in  this  statement  is 
intended  to  belittle  the  importance  of  other  points  or  the 
valor  shown  in  maintaining  them,  but  all  would  have  been 
unavailing  had  Stuart  faltered  in  his  purpose,  or  the  Fifty- 
fifth  Illinois  and  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  failed  in  the  execution 
of  that  purpose. 

In  the  cotemporaneous  letters  and  diaries  gathered  for  the 
purposes  of  this  work,  statements  are  sometimes  found 


FIFTY-FIFTH    OHIO    VINDICATED.  85 

reflecting  upon  the  conduct  of  some  portion  of  the  Fifty- 
fourth  Ohio.  They  are  generally  to  the  effect  that  compar 
atively  few  of  them  remained  until  the  time  of  the  final 
retreat  of  the  Fifty-fifth  from  the  main  position,  where  the 
terrific  conflict  occurred  on  Sunday.  It  is  certain  that  every 
survivor  of  the  latter  regiment  will  rejoice  in  the  statement 
that  upon  the  fullest  examination  these  insinuations  are  found 
to  be  entirely  unjust.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the 
Fifty-fourth  was  the  smallest  regiment  in  the  brigade,  and 
that  before  the  supreme  hour  came  it  lost  some  inevitably  by 
straggling,  as  did  the  Fifty-fifth.  Turning  again  to  the  report 
under  consideration,  it  is  found  clearly  stated  that  four  com 
panies,  or  two-fifths  of  the  Fifty-fourth,  were  removed  from 
the  line  of  battle  by  an  order,  and  were  performing  special 
duty  farther  to  the  left  at  the  time  of  the  retreat,  and  did  not 
rejoin  the  line  until  the  final  rally  at  the  landing.  Under 
existing  circumstances  the  Fifty-fourth  must  have  had  less 
than  three  hundred  men  remaining  in  line  of  battle  after 
such  detachment,  and  a  "butcher's  bill"  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty-four  killed  and  wounded,  largely  from  the  men  remain 
ing  at  the  ravine,  clearly  entitles  that  regiment  to  an  honor 
able  place  in  the  annals  of  that  fearful  Sunday's  conflict. 
The  removal  of  four  companies  from  the  short  line  of  twenty 
was  injudicious  and  unnecessary,  and  grew  out  of  the  inordi 
nate  fear  of  cavalry  on  the  part  of  the  lieutenant-colonel  of 
the  Fifty-fifth,  whose  impracticable  adherence  to  European 
tradition  reached  the  climax  of  absurdity  in  forming  a  hollow 
square  to  repel  the  same  imaginary  foe.  The  major  spoken 
of  in  Colonel  Stuart's  report,  who  commanded  this  excursion 
to  the  left,  will  readily  be  recalled  as  Major  Fisher,  the  active, 
efficient  and  good-looking  young  officer  who  seemed  to  be 
the  chief  executive  of  the  Fifty-fourth.  He  yet  survives,  a 
leading  and  respected  citizen  of  Denver,  Colorado,  and  his 
hospitality  to  his  former  comrades  of  the  Fifty-fifth  has  been 
generously  tested  during  a  visit  in  search  of  material  for  this 
volume. 

In  treating  of  the  disgraceful  conduct  of  the  Seventh-first 
Ohio,  Colonel  Stuart,  like  General  Sherman,  is  diplomatic, 
saying  that  he  "could  not  find  them,  and  had  no  intimation 


66  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

where  they  had  gone,"  and  the  like.  They  "had  gone,"  as 
Colonel  Stuart  well  knew,  pell-mell  to  the  landing,  without 
having  received  or  delivered  one  well  sustained  volley,  and 
in  that  wild  race  to  a  place  of  safety,  it  is  doubtful  if  any 
agile  youth  in  the  ranks  out-footed  their  middle-aged  and 
plethoric  colonel.  Several  Ohio  regiments  of  Sherman's 
division  misbehaved,  and  it  was  probably  good  policy  that 
led  to  a  tender  treatment  of  their  short-comings,  and  left  to 
future  opportunity  and  discipline  the  chances  of  vindication. 
Time  brought  about  that  result  in  regard  to  the  Fifty-third 
and  Fifty-seventh  Ohio,  and  later  to  the  Seventy-first  —  all 
under  different  commanders.  Colonel  Rodney  Mason  of  the 
Seventy-first  belonged  to  one  of  the  first  families  of  Ohio, 
and  had  been  Adjutant-General  of  that  state.  General  Sher 
man  is,  "even  unto  this  day,"  zealous  to  apologize  for  him, 
though  General  Grant,  in  his  memoirs,  names  him  as  a  "con 
stitutional  coward."  In  any  event,  the  men  were  not  so 
much  to  blame  as  was  the  generalship  which  placed  them, 
raw  recruits  as  they  were,  within  the  reach  of  a  sudden 
attack,  without  notice  and  without  even  a  connected  line  to 
give  the  sense  of  security,  so  essential  to  new  troops.  All 
strictures  upon  the  conduct  of  the  Seventy-first  Ohio  should 
make  reverent  exception  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kyle,  who 
was  shot  while  attempting  to  stem  the  wild  wave  of  fugitives; 
and  its  Company  K  should  also  be  honored  for  its  conduct 
on  the  skirmish  line,  where  it  lost  near  one-half  its  men, 
around  the  groups  of  log  buildings  at  the  left  of  the  quarters 
of  the  Fifty-fifth.  It  is  further  a  duty,  as  well  as  a  pleasure, 
to  give  full  credit  to  its  adjutant,  Hart,  who  with  seventeen 
men  of  his  regiment,  remained  through  all,  and  to  the  rosy- 
cheeked,  bright-eyed  boy,  named  B.  F.  Inyartt,  who  sought 
a  place  in  the  ranks  of  Company  I,  and  passed  through  the 
battle  unscathed. 

In  his  description  of  the  movements  of  the  first  day, 
Colonel  Stuart  refers  to  certain  events  which  took  place  near 
the  landing,  and  gives  to  the  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Fifty- 
fifth«sole  credit  for  rallying  from  the  debris  of  the  field  a  line 
of  three  thousand  men.  Such  a  statement  is  so  extravagant 
as  to  be  beyond  the  domain  of  absurdity,  and  the  source  of 


SHERMAN'S    REPORT.  87 

it  is  easily  traced.  No  student  of  Shiloh  will  assert  that 
General  Grant  had  over  fifteen  thousand  organized  troops  in 
line  at  the  landing,  and  the  statement  that  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Malmborg  controlled  one-fifth  of  that  number  requires  con 
tradiction  only  because  such  a  statement  was  made  officially. 
The  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Fifty-fifth  was  simply  entitled 
to  the  credit  of  being  one  of  the  brave  men  who  staid  by  his 
colors,  but  evidences  of  his  skill  and  his  power  over  other 
men  are  entirely  lacking. 

No  regimental  reports  were  made  for  either  the  Fifty-fifth 
or  the  Fifty-fourth,  though  it  would  seem  the  brigade  report, 
toward  its  close,  was  intended  to  apply  especially  to  the  for 
mer.  It  is  proper  to  state  also  that  the  names  mentioned  as 
"meriting  notice  especially,"  while  deserving  of  all  the  credit 
given  them,  were  only  a  small  portion  of  a  number  equally 
meritorious.  It  is  not  often  that  the  adjutant  of  a  regiment 
fights  in  the  ranks  with  a  musket,  as  did  the  adjutant  of  the 
Fifty-fifth,  and  it  is  still  more  rare  that  creditable  action  on 
his  part  escapes  notice  in  the  reports.  The  superb  conduct 
and  the  terrible  wound  of  the  sergeant-major,  too,  causes  a 
regret  that  a  small  portion  of  the  report  was  not  devoted  to 
the  good  conduct  of  the  "field  and  staff."  But  this  yearning 
for  the  praise  of  deserving  comrades  must  be  suppressed,  lest 
it  include  nearly  the  whole  regiment.  From  the  general 
credit  given  to  the  officers,  two  are  excluded  as  disgraceful 
exceptions.  These  were  Captain  Joseph  Clay  of  Company 
G,  and  Second-Lieutenant  Jonas  L.  Buck  of  Compay  E. 
Both  were  given  subsequent  opportunities,  and  both  again 
failed,  and  were  accordingly  cashiered. 

In  the  very  elaborate  report  of  General  Sherman,  who 
commanded  the  Fifth  division,  to  which  Stuart's  Second 
brigade  nominally  belonged,  is  found  the  following  meagre 
allusion  to  the  latter: 

My  Second  brigade,  Colonel  Stuart,  was  detached  near  two  miles  from 
my  headquarters.  He  had  to  fight  his  own  battle  on  Sunday,  as  the  enemy 
interposed  between  him  and  Prentiss  early  in  the  day.  Colonel  Stuart 
was  severely  wounded,  and  yet  reported  for  duty  on  Monday  morning, 
but  was  compelled  to  leave  during  the  day,  when  the  command  devolved 
upon  Colonel  T.  Kilby  Smith,  Fifty-fourth  Ohio,  who  was  always  in  the 
thickest  of  the  fight,  and  led  the  brigade  handsomely. 


£8  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

The  above  is  all  the  official  recognition  at  the  hands  of  the 
division  commander  received  by  the  Fifty-fifth,  except  here 
and  there  an  allusion  to  its  existence.  A  few  general  phrases 
only,  which  lead  up  to  a  compliment  for  Colonels  Stuart  and 
Smith.  Not  one  word  of  commendation  for  the  two  regi 
ments  which  fought  on  the  ground  where  they  fired  their  first 
volley  until  after  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  for  hours 
after  the  two  brigades  in  his  presence  had  gone  to  pieces. 
No  inference  can  be  drawn  as  to  whether  the  Fifty-fifth 
fought  well  or  ill,  or  why  it  lost  more  men  than  either  of  the 
brigades  which  he  put  into  action  and  commanded  in  person. 

A  natural  result  of  this  sin  of  omission  is  that  the  general 
histories  of  the  war  are  nearly  silent  as  to  the  desperate  strug 
gle  on  the  extreme  left  flank  at  Shiloh.  In  point  of  fact, 
that  bloody  episode  was  one  of  the  most  notable  and  heroic 
of  the  war,  and  entitles  all  concerned  to  a  conspicuous  place 
in  the  line  of  patriots  who  have  faced  death  in  the  various 
exigencies  of  national  tribulation. 

Early  impressed  by  this  hiatus  in  the  reports  and  histories 
resulting  from  official  disregard,  and  actuated  by  a  natural 
desire  that  justice  should  be  done,  much  time  and  study  has 
been  devoted  to  unravelling  the  details  of  the  disorderly 
tumult  at  Shiloh.  In  pursuit  of  such  purpose,  nearly  every 
thing  written,  both  official  and  unofficial,  has  been  examined. 
Two  visits  have  been  made  to  the  field  for  the  purpose  of 
acquiring  information  by  personal  examination.  Some 
humorist  has  remarked  that  Shiloh  is  the  best  contested  bat 
tle  since  the  war.  In  this  wordy  discussion  the  writer  has  not 
been  altogether  silent,  but  has  taken  part  wherever  and  when 
ever  the  vindication  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  and  the  Fifty- 
fourth  Ohio  seemed  to  make  it  necessary.  One  of  the  results 
of  effort  in  that  direction  was  an  essay,  called  at  the  time,  "A 
Section  of  a  Battle,"  and  read  at  the  first  reunion  of  the  Fifty- 
fifth,  on  October  3ist,  1884.  It  was  designed  to  be  a  history 
of  the  operations  of  Stuart's  brigade  during  its  defence  of 
the  extreme  left  flank  in  the  first  day's  battle.  It  bears  the 
impress  of  some  feeling,  and  is  in  form  somewhat  controver 
sial;  but  all  writings  that  get  beyond  glittering  generalities 
on  this  subject  are,  and  must  be,  controversial.  The  more 


A    SECTION    OF   A    BATTLE.  89 

recent  study  devoted  to  the  topic,  and  many  days  since  spent 
upon  the  field,  confirm  every  position  taken  in  that  essay. 
Although  it  has  now  no  claim  to  be  called  new,  after  much 
hesitation  it  has  seemed  best  to  make  it  a  part  of  this  narra 
tion.  Its  use  in  this  connection  materially  lightens  the  sum 
of  gratuitous  labor  necessary  to  the  work  in  hand,  of  itself 
no  small  matter.  There  is  pith  also  in  the  suggestion  of  a 
literary  friend,  "that  an  attempt  to  re-write  it  might  hammer 
some  of  the  temper  out  of  it."  It  should  be  remembered 
that  out  of  the  confusion  and  surprise  of  Shiloh  comes  the 
chief  glory  of  the  Fifty-fifth.  It  fought  so  well  and  suffered 
so  much,  without  the  aid  of  generalship  and  the  rules  of  mil 
itary  science,  that  to  do  it  anything  like  justice  full  reference 
must  be  had  to  the  lack  of  those  needful  and  useful  elements 
of  a  battle.  It  is  not  proper  that  this  opportunity  pass  without 
making  the  vindication  of  Stuart's  brigade  full,  so  that  his 
torians  in  the  future  need  not,  as  they  have  in  the  past,  lack 
material  to  do  simple  justice.  "A  Section  of  a  Battle"  is 
therefore  again  presented,  to  be  followed  by  such  further 
observations  as  seem  needful  for  elaboration : 

A  SECTION   OF  A   BATTLE. 

It  is  perfectly  well  settled  how  the  battle  of  Shiloh  came  to  be  fought. 
The  grand  strategy  of  that  campaign  is  no  historical  secret.  The  maps 
of  the  country  macte  it  plain  that  the  proper  place  to  attack  the  rebel 
line  in  the  west  was  in  the  centre,  obviously  by  the  navigable  channels  of 
the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland  rivers.  To  General  Halleck  belongs  the 
credit  of  first  grasping  this  idea — at  least,  of  first  announcing  it.  It  is 
hardly  to  be  imagined  that  so  simple  a  problem  escaped  the  thoughts  of 
the  great  embryo  captains,  Grant  and  Sherman,  of  the  same  department. 
The  first  effort  in  pursuance  of  this  line  of  attack  had  been  extremely 
rich  in  results,  embracing  the  occupation  and  capture  of  Forts  Henry, 
Donelson,  Nashville,  Columbus,  Bowling  Green,  with  intervening  and 
contiguous  territory. 

The  next  step  in  this  sweep  of  grand  strategy  culminated  in  the  battle 
of  Shiloh.  In  the  new  line  assumed,  after  the  fall  of  Donelson,  Corinth 
became  a  point  of  the  first  moment.  The  rebel  centre  being  broken,  and 
its  wings  without  connection,  concentration  at  that  point  followed.  The 
natural  way  to  reach  this  was  by  continuing  up  the  Tennessee  river,  so 
that  all  the  advantages  of  water  navigation,  safe  communication  and 
naval  protection  could  be  secured.  Pittsburgh  Landing  was  selected, 
apparently  without  much  consideration,  because  it  was  convenient; 
because  the  ground  was  high;  and  again,  because  its  ridges  led  into  the 


90  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

interior  and  furnished  good  camping  grounds.  Its  selection,  fortunate  or 
unfortunate,  was  the  act  of  General  C.  F.  Smith,  then  in  command. 

While  General  Grant's  army  was  lying  scattered  over  these  ridges, 
waiting  for  the  arrival  of  General  Buell,  preparatory  to  an  advance  on 
Corinth,  the  rebel  leaders  concluded  to  attack  that  portion  of  the  army 
already  at  Pittsburgh  Landing.  Thus  simple  were  the  steps  which  led 
to  this  great  battle. 

A  word  here  may  not  be  out  of  place  as  to  the  character  of  the 
combat.  It  was,  beyond  controversy,  among  the  bloodiest  in  history. 
In  all  the  sanguinary  battles  of  our  late  war,  it  was  for  those  who  staid 
at  the  front,  one  of  the  most  terrific.  The  Count  of  Paris  in  his  very 
able  history  of  the  rebellion  quotes  General  Sherman  as  saying  that  it 
was  "  the  most  terrible  that  he  had  witnessed  during  his  career."  Badeau, 
in  his  "Life  of  General  Grant,"  speaks  of  certain  portions  of  this  battle 
by  referring  to  them  as  embracing  several  hours  of  as  desperate  fighting 
as  ever  was  seen  on  this  continent.  He  again  remarks  that  "it  was  the 
severest  fight  of  the  war  west  of  the  Alleghanies,  and  in  proportion  to 
the  numbers  engaged  equalled  any  contest  during  the  rebellion."  He 
quotes  Sherman  as  saying  that  he  never  saw  such  terrible  fighting 
afterwards,  and  Grant  compared  Shiloh  only  to  the  "  Wilderness."  All 
Confederate  writers,  and  there  are  some  able  ones,  agree  in  giving  to  this 
contest  a  desperate  character  seldom  equalled.  An  examination  of  the 
losses,  placing  them  to  the  proper  credit,  fully  bears  out  this  statement. 
The  weight  of  authority  shows  that,  exclusive  of  General  Lew  Wallace's 
division,  General  Grant  had  at  the  landing  and  upon  the  field  from 
thirty-two  thousand  to  thirty-three  thousand  men  on  the  first  day. 
Eliminate  over  three  thousand  cavalry,  who  lost  in  killed  and  wounded 
only  twenty-four  men,  and  who  for  various  reasons  not  discreditable  to 
them  were  of  little  if  any  use;  count  out  also  nmaway  regiments, 
stragglers,  musicians,  camp  details,  camp  sick,  wagoners,  etc.,  who 
contributed  nothing  to  the  loss  of  this  conflict;  and  it  will  be  found  that 
not  over  twenty-four  thousand  men  did  the  fighting  and  suffered  the  loss 
on  the  first  day.  This  number  lost,  in  killed  and  wounded  alone,  nearly 
eight  thousand.  Allowing  one  thousand  for  the  loss  in  the  second  day's 
fight,  it  will  be  found  that  the  killed  and  wounded  in  the  first  day's  battle 
almost  doubles  the  ratio  of  the  "butcher's  bill  "-at  Gettysburg.  These 
same  men,  with  little  thought  that  they  were  making  history  at  such  a 
rate,  suffered  in  one  day's  battle  a  per  cent,  of  loss  in  killed  and  wounded 
almost  or  quite  equal  to  that  of  our  army  during  the  entire  Atlanta 
campaign. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  article  to  give  any  general  history  of  the 
battle  of  Shiloh.  That  has  been  a  fruitful  subject  for  many  able  pens. 
For  obvious  reasons  it  has  been,  and  bids  fair  to  be,  a  theme  of  acri 
monious  discussion.  Aside  from  the  controversy  growing  out  of  the 
manner  of  the  commencement,  the  ending,  and  the  results  of  this  battle, 
it  was  a  series  of  detached  conflicts,  involving  many  changes  and  great 
confusion,  all  difficult  to  describe. 


A    SECTION    OF    A    BATTLE.  pi 

It  is  the  distinct  purpose  of  this  paper  to  give  an  account  of  the 
operations  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  as  connected  with  the  first 
day's  contest.  I  have  always  felt,  in  common  with  my  fellow  soldiers, 
that  justice  has  never  been  done  to  this  regiment  for  what  it  did  and 
suffered  on  that  occasion.  No  effort  will  be  used  to  make  this  a  chronicle 
of  personal  anecdote  or  adventure.  It  might  in  that  case  be  more 
graphic,  but  it  would  be  of  less  value  as  history. 

There  will  be  no  cavil  against  the  statement  that  the  Fifty-fifth 
Illinois  was  one  of  the  best  regiments  among  the  many  good  ones  that 
went  from  Illinois  to  participate  in  our  great  struggle.  It  gathered  from 
our  farms,  shops,  offices  and  school-houses  as  fine  fibre  of  blood,  muscle 
and  brain  as  ever  was  laid  upon  the  altar  of  any  country.  It  is  also 
true,  beyond  controversy,  that  its  career  is  among  the  bloodiest.  In  all 
that  in  warlike  parlance  goes  to  make  "glory,"  it  reaped  a  rich  harvest. 
Its  blood  watered  the  soil  of  many  states.  This  much  is  claimed  for  and 
will  be  readily  conceded  to  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois.  Yet  its  literature  was 
all  through  the  war,  and  is  now,  of  the  slightest,  both  in  quantity  and 
quality.  Its  fame  was  never  properly  recorded.  It  had  no  one  to  blow 
its  trumpet.  Somehow  it  never  got  its  name  inscribed  upon  monuments. 
No  newspaper  correspondent  wrote  up  its  events  with  common  justice, 
let  alone  the  rhetorical  exaggerations  so  often  used. 

In  looking  back  through  the  years  that  have  intervened,  I  can  assign 
some,  at  least,  of  the  reasons  for  this  great  injustice.  It  was  a  regiment 
organized  in  Chicago  from  many  fragments,  from  different  localities.  It 
did  not  represent  any  particular  location  or  nationality.  It  was  not  the 
pride  or  pet  of  contiguous  territory.  Its  mourners  were  not  concentrated. 
It  was  the  silent  tear  in  many  hamlets  that  paid  tribute  to  its  dead. 
Another,  and  perhaps  main  reason,  was  the  character  of  its  first  field 
officers.  These  officers  were  for  many  reasons,  not  wise  selections; 
especially  so  with  reference  to  perpetuating  the  fame  of,  and  creating  a 
literature  for  the  regiment.  Social  causes  before  the  war,  and  personal 
habits,  temper  and  temperament  during  the  war,  sufficiently  account  for 
this  to  all  who  are  acquainted  with  the  facts.  Since  the  parties  referred 
to  are  now  dead  and  the  fame  of  the  regiment  to  its  survivors  is  above 
all  things  sacred,  elaboration  of  details  on  this  topic  is  not  desirable. 
So,  from  these  causes,  and  others  I  do  not  choose  to  mention,  the  history 
of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  remains  practically  unwritten.  Its  record  is 
preserved  for  the  most  part,  if  at  all,  within  the  now  aging  memories  of 
its  survivors.  The  highest  duty  of  this  and  other  reunions  should  be  to 
rescue  from  oblivion  the  glorious  deeds  of  this  grand  old  regiment.  I 
hope  I  may  be  able  to  state  and  to  prove  the  important  part  it  performed 
in  withstanding  the  tremendous  sweep  of  the  Confederate  army  at 
Pittsburgh  Landing.  This  is  especially  appropriate  since  its  division 
commander,  General  Sherman,  first  left  it  off  two  miles,  detached  from 
his  division  —  left  it  during  the  battle,  without  artillery,  without  his 
orders,  and  apparently  without  a  thought,  and  left  it  in  his  report,  with  a 
mere  allusion  never  after  corrected  or  elaborated. 


92  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

To  properly  characterize  the  relation  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  to  the 
battle  of  Shiloh,  an  allusion  to  the  physical  features  of  the  field  becomes 
necessary.  It  is  embraced  within  the  borders  of  Lick  creek  on  the 
south,  and  Snake  creek  on  the  north,  which  enter  the  Tennessee  river  on 
nearly  parallel  lines  about  four  miles  apart,  and  from  the  general  direc 
tion  of  southwest.  Inland  or  up  stream,  a  short  distance  from  the  mouth 
of  Snake  creek,  enters  into  it  from  the  side  of  the  battle-field  Owl  creek, 
which  from  that  point  becomes  the  limit  of  the  field  upon  the  right  flank. 
The  general  scope  of  the  battle-field  is  the  high  plateau  between  these 
creeks.  This  plateau,  or  ridge,  is  cut  up  by  innumerable  ravines  and 
small  creeks,  at  times  dry,  tributary  to  the  larger  creeks. or  the  river. 
Those  emptying  into  Lick  creek  and  the  river  below  the  mouth  of  that 
creek  are  terribly  deep  and  rugged,  but  quickly  terminate  toward  their 
upper  end  and  blend  into  the  general  level  of  the  centre  of  the  battle 
field. 

The  general  sweep  of  the  rebel  line  of  attack  was  down  this  plateau, 
with  a  line  of  battle  reaching  from  Owl  creek  on  their  left  to  Lick  creek 
on  their  right.  The  Confederate  tactics  seem  to  have  been  to  first  attack 
and  break  the  centre  at  and  to  the  left  of  Shiloh  church,  then  make  a 
general  left  wheel,  somewhat  en  echelon,  turn  the  Federal  left,  drive  the 
army  away  from  the  river,  and  capture  the  landing  and  as  much  of  the 
army  as  possible.  It  was  in  pursuance  of  this  plan,  so  successfully 
begun  by  early  breaking  through  Prentiss  and  Sherman,  and  fully  set  forth 
in  the  reports  of  Chalmers,  Jackson  and  Withers,  that  the  rebel  right 
encountered  the  stubborn  resistance  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  and  the 
Fifty-fourth  Ohio. 

It  may  be  worth  mentioning  that  the  first  Confederate  scheme  was  to 
attack  and  turn  the  Federal  left  by  crossing  Lick  creek  from  Hamburgh. 
This  plan  was  abandoned  upon  General  Chalmers'  report  of  April  2d 
that  the  crossings  of  Lick  creek  were  not  practicable,  except  by  cavalry. 
This  prevented  Stuart's  brigade  from  being  the  main  and  first  point  of 
attack.  What  in  that  case  the  result  would  have  been,  belongs  to  the 
domain  of  speculation.  Taking  into  account  what  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois 
and  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  did  when  attacked,  no  law  of  probabilities  is 
violated  by  stating  that  they  would  have  done  much  better  work  than  did 
Hildebrand's  or  Buckland's  brigades.  In  the  light  of  experience  it  is  a 
curious  commentary  upon  the  generalship  of  this  battle  to  state  that 
more  than  one  good  road  was  left  without  pickets,  and  unguarded  all  the 
way  from  Corinth  to  Hamburgh. 

The  rebel  formation  for  attack  was  in  three  lines.  The  front  was 
commanded  by  General  Hardee,  the  next  by  General  Bragg,  and  the 
third  by  General  Polk,  with  reserves  under  General  Breckenridge.  It 
was  generally  reported  and  believed  among  us  after  the  battle  that  our 
brigade  was  opposed  to  General  Hardee's  men.  This  was  not  so.  At 
the  time  of  the  rebel  advance  for  attack  it  was  found  that  Hardee's  line 
was  not  long  enough  to  fill  in  the  space  between  Lick  and  Owl  creeks, 
and  as  this  space  began  to  widen  Withers'  division  of  Bragg's  corps  was 


A    SECTION     OF    A    BATTLE.  93 

used  to  extend  the  rebel  right,  which  ultimately  came  in  contact  with  the 
Federal  extreme  left. 

The  Second  brigade  of  the  Fifth  (Sherman's)  division  was  composed 
of  the  Seventy-first  and  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  and  Fifty-fifth  Illinois.  It 
was  commanded  by  Col.  David  Stuart  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois.  It 
formed  the  extreme  left  flank  of  the  Federal  army,  being  to  the  left  and 
somewhat  in  the  rear  of  General  Prentiss'  line  —  especially  so  with 
reference  to  the  direction  of  the  attack,  which  was  oblique  to  the  Federal 
line, 

The  arrangement  of  the  whole  Federal  army  has  been  properly 
characterized  by  able  writers  as  "  loose."  This  was  particularly  true  of 
Stuart's  brigade,  which  was  some  two  miles  to  the  left  of  the  balance  of 
the  Fifth  division  and  its  commander  —  the  Sixth,  or  Prentiss' division, 
intervening.  There  was  a  wide  interval  between  Prentiss  and  Stuart, 
and  no  troops  between  the  latter  and  the  river,  somewhat  more  than  half 
a  mile  away.  As  expressed  by  General  Sherman,  "  It  was  the  extreme 
left  guarding  the  ford  over  Lick  creek."  It  seems  to  have  been  so  placed 
before  the  arrival  of  other  troops,  and  when  General  Sherman  was 
covering  the  whole  front.  Why,  after  the  arrival  of  other  divisions,  they 
were  not  extended  to  cover  this  point,  and  Stuart's  brigade  changed  to 
connect  with  its  division,  belongs  to  the  grand  aggregation  of  official 
stupidity  going  to  make  the  strategy  and  tactics  of  this  campaign.  As 
one  writer  forcibly  expresses  it,  "this  brigade  was  doubly  let  alone,  both 
by  the  commander  of  the  army  and  its  division  commander."  Referring 
to  the  general  location  of  the  army,  the  Count  of  Paris,  after  comment 
ing  upon  the  natural  strength  of  the  position,  says  that  "  the  Federals 
had  not  yet  learned  to  avail  themselves  of  the  natural  advantages  of  the 
position."  Also,  that  they  were  posted  at  hazard,  and  not  disposed  so  as 
to  enable  them  to  support  each  other,  etc.  Speaking  of  Stuart's  brigade, 
he  says  it  was  entirely  isolated  upon  the  borders  of  Lick  creek. 

Notwithstanding  General  Sherman  speaks  explicitly  of  the  purpose 
of  Stuart's  brigade  being  so  located,  it  was  not  in  point  of  fact  situated 
to  defend  the  crossing  of  Lick  creek  at  all,  but  was  encamped  upon  a 
tributary  to  that  stream  and  more  than  half  a  mile  away  from  the 
crossing.  Between  lay  the  highest  ridge  upon  the  Shiloh  battle-field, 
with  a  frowning  bluff  overlooking  Stuart's  color  line,  and  rendering  all 
parts  of  such  camp  untenable.  Then,  to  defend  Lick  creek  crossing, 
this  brigade  must  move  more  than  half  a  mile  to  the  left  and  front, 
crossing  terrible  ridges  and  ravines,  and  thereby  leave  a  full  mile  of 
space  between  its  right  and  the  left  of  Prentiss.  It  is  a  matter  of 
supererogation  to  add  that  no  troops  at  the  front  had  sufficient  previous 
notice  to  go  anywhere  in  advance,  to  defend  anything.  Ordinary  human 
means  of  knowledge  were  not  used,  and  inspiration  does  not  appear  to 
have  supervened. 

To  defend  the  left  flank  of  the  army  and  the  ground  in  its  vicinity,  it 
was  absolutely  necessary  to  get  out.  from  under  the  great  bluffs  over 
looking  its  camps,  as  was  done  eventually.  The  camp  of  the  Fifty-fifth 


94  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

Illinois  was  just  north  of  a  tributary  which  enters  Lick  creek  about 
one-half  mile  away.  It  was  bordering  upon  the  road  running  to  Ham 
burgh,  and  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile  from  where  such  road  crosses  the 
small  creek  referred  to.  These  facts  have  been  verified  by  a  recent 
personal  examination  of  the  ground. 

Here,  if  at  all,  would  be  the  proper  place  to  discuss  whether  the 
Federal  army  was  surprised  at  Shiloh.  I  do  not  purpose  to  add  greatly 
to  the  voluminous  literature  on  that  topic.  I  have,  however,  a  decided 
opinion.  In  this  opinion  I  am  sustained  by  an  overwhelming  weight  of 
authority.  I  am  sustained  by  the  definite  conclusion  and  capable  thought 
of  thousands  who  were  present  and  now  survive.  In  recently  visiting 
the  field,  with  near  two  hundred  of  those  survivors,  I  did  not  hear  one 
dissenting  voice.  That  opinion,  briefly  stated,  is  that  all  preliminaries 
necessary  to  prepare  a  great  army  to  repel  the  attack  of  another  were 
wanting;  that  there  was  an  entire  lack  of  preparation,  of  concerted  and 
necessary  action,  which  betokened  absolute  ignorance  of  the  presence  of 
a  hostile  army;  that  the  commanding  officers  are  entitled  to  no  credit 
beyond  good  conduct  on  the  field  after  the  battle  commenced;  that  in  all 
the  essentials  of  a  surprise  it  was  a  success  for  the  Confederates.  I 
deliberately  state,  that  since  war  became  a  science,  one  great  army  never 
approached  another  with  its  presence  so  entirely  unknown.  It  was  em 
phatically  a  soldiers'  fight,  well  put  in  the  expression  that  the  rebels  out 
generaled  us,  but  that  we  out-coloneled  them.  On  these  points  the 
authorities  are  too  numerous  to  quote,  and  a  general  reference  is  made 
to  the  reports  and  histories  covering  that  period. 

Nothing  herein  is  intended  to  detract  from  the  great  fame  of  Generals 
Grant  and  Sherman,  who  did  enough  afterward  to  merit  the  gratitude  of 
humanity.  Their  reputation  is  too  well  established  to  need  any  fantastic 
distortion  of  facts  about  this  battle. 

The  latter  calls  it  a  necessary  test  of  manhood.  Granted,  but  yet  it 
is  a  great  pity  that  the  Northern  troops  did  not  enter  upon  this  "  test  of 
manhood  "  with  sufficient  preparation  to  destroy  the  rebel  army  and  gain 
an  overwhelming  victory.  It  is  a  pity  that,  as  this  great  historical  page 
was  unfolding,  the  first  glimmer  of  its  bloody  import  should  thrust  itself 
upon  General  Sherman  only  at  eight  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  battle. 
Then,  as  he  says  in  his  report,  he  became  convinced  for  the  first  time 
that  the  enemy  designed  a  determined  attack.  If  not  admitted  to  be 
true,  it  would  seem  like  a  romance  when  we  state  that  fully  twenty  thou 
sand  Confederates  rested  for  thirty-six  hours  within  less  than  four  miles 
of  General  Sherman's  headquarters.  The  simple  truth  is,  that  at  this 
stage  of  the  war  generals  were  in  process  of  education  as  well  as  privates. 

Gladden's  brigade  of  Withers'  division  had  first  been  taken  from 
Bragg's  line  and  used  to  extend  Hardee's  right,  as  the  widening  space 
toward  Lick  creek  made  it  necessary.  Jackson's  and  Chalmers'  brigades, 
of  the  same  division,  had  been  placed  en  echelon  to  the  right  and  rear  of 
Gladden.  In  this  formation,  the  attack  was  pushed  upon  Prentiss,  and 


A    SECTION    OF    A    BATTLE.  95 

finally  both  Chalmers  and  Jackson  participated,  though  not  seriously,  in 
the  breaking  of  that  general's  line. 

Meanwhile,  the  regiments  of  Stuart's  brigade  had  at  the  first  alarm, 
formed  upon  their  respective  color  lines.  Colonel  Stuart  states,  in  his 
report,  that  at  half-past  seven  in  the  forenoon,  he  received  word  from 
General  Prentiss  that  the  enemy  were  in  his  front  in  force,  and  that  in  a 
short  time  he  discovered  the  Pelican  flag  advancing  in  rear  of  Prentiss' 
headquarters.  Then  he  despatched  his  adjutant  to  inform  General 
Hurlbut  that  Prentiss'  left  was  turned.  Stuart  also  states  that,  within 
fifteen  minutes,  Hurlbut  sent  one  regiment  (the  Forty-first  Illinois,  as  he 
remembers,)  and  a  battery,  which  took  position  immediately  by  the 
Seventy-first  Ohio  headquarters.  He  expected  Hurlbut's  division  would 
be  up  quickly.  He  further  states  that  subsequently,  and  before  any 
attack  was  made  upon  his  brigade,  such  regiment  and  battery  had 
departed  without  firing  a  gun.  I  do  not  find  in  the  report  of  General 
Hurlbut,  or  that  of  any  of  his  subordinates,  or  of  the  Forty-first  Illinois, 
anything  confirming  this. 

It  is  true  that  General  Hurlbut  at  once  promptly  advanced  his  whole 
division,  until  met  by  the  fugitives  of  Prentiss'  division.  He  was  at  least 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  to  the  right  and  rear  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois. 
While  his  division  was  well  fought  and  handled,  as  the  very  able  report 
of  its  commander  shows,  it  in  no  sense  supported  Stuart's  brigade,  or 
protected  its  flank  from  any  direct  attack.  It  appears  also  that  the  Ninth 
and  Twelfth  Illinois,  of  Wallace's  division,  were  sent  to  the  left  and  frontf 
with  a  view  to  supporting  Stuart.  Before  reaching  any  such  position, 
they  were  met  by  the  debris  of  Prentiss'  broken  line,  and  the  Confed 
erates  following  them,  and  were  involved  in  a  bloody  conflict,  in  which 
they  did  their  whole  duty.  While  it  is  not  clear  just  where  they  fought, 
it  is  certain  they  never  got  within  half  a  mile  of  Stuart.  The  first  line  of 
battle  formed  by  this  brigade  was  with  its  right  resting  opposite  the  left 
of  the  camp  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois.  The  Seventy-first  Ohio  was  upon 
the  right,  with  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  the  centre  and  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio 
upon  the  left.  From  this  point  two  companies  each  of  the  Fifty-fifth  and 
Fifty-fourth  were  sent  as  skirmishers  across  the  creek  in  their  front. 

Several  changes  in  position  occurred,  not  all  of  which  are  remem 
bered,  and  which  had  no  significance.  Great  uncertainty  prevailed  as  to 
the  precise  direction  the  attack  would  come  from,  and  these  changes 'of 
position  were  doubtless  intended  to  establish  a  line  parallel  to  that  of  the 
expected  attack,  or  with  a  view  to  defensibility.  As  an  incident  of  this 
portion  of  the  battle,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  skirmishers  of  the 
Fifty-fifth  Illinois  fired  into  one  of  Chalmers'  regiments  as  it  was  form 
ing.  It  was  the  Fifty-second  Tennessee,  and  was  so  stampeded  that, 
with  the  exception  of  two  companies,  it  took  no  further  part  in  the  battle. 
It  is  a  strange  coincidence  that  the  Seventy-first  Ohio,  commanded  by 
that  globule  of  adipose  pomposity,  Col.  Rodney  Mason,  was  upon  the 
same  portion  of  the  field  stampeded  in  the  same  way,  not  even  one  com 
pany  remaining  to  participate  further  in  the  battle. 


96  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

The  skirmishers  were  unable  to  prevent  the  planting  of  a  hostile 
battery  upon  the  high  bluff  across  the  small  creek.  This  was  Gage's 
.battery,  highly  complimented  by  its  brigade  commander.  At  this  time 
the  position  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  with  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  upon  its 
left,  was  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  and  sixty  rods  to  the  left,  and 
slightly  to  the  rear  of  the  camp  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois.  The  regiment  had 
not  as  yet  been  engaged  seriously.  The  fire  it  was  subjected  to  came  from 
the  battery  before  mentioned.  It  would  seem  that  Colonel  Stuart,  for  some 
reason,  here  expected  the  attack  to  come  from  the  south-east,  or  up  the 
road  from  the  crossing  of  the  creek.  A  change  of  front  thereupon  was 
attempted,  during  which  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  broke  and  ran  in  the  most 
inextricable  confusion. 

In  looking  over  the  ground  since,  I  am  astonished  at  the  direction 
this  "  skedaddle "  took.  '  It  was  nearly  to  the  right,  and  comparatively 
little  toward  the  rear.  Its  course  crossed  a  considerable  ravine,  and 
passed  over  about  one  hundred  rods  of  ground,  when  the  regiment  halted, 
as  if  by  impulse,  a  promiscuous,  disorganized  mass  of  men.  It  was  then 
deliberately  formed  into  line  by  its  officers.  From  that  day  till  "Johnnie 
came  marching  home,"  anything  like  a  panic  never  affected  this  regi 
ment,  and  this  one  in  no  sense  impaired  its  efficiency  in  the  conflict  which 
followed. 

According  to  my  recollection,  it  was  about  this  time  that  the  Seventy- 
first  Ohio  broke  for  the  rear  and  disappeared,  as  an  organization,  from 
the  battle.  Strange  to  say,  a  recent  denial  of  this  appears  in  print.  I 
propose  to  state  the  simple  fact,  known  to  every  survivor  of  the  Fifty- 
fifth  Illinois,  that  that  regiment  disgracefully  ran  away,  led  by  many  of 
its  officers.  Although  this  is  tenderly  glossed  over  by  General  Sherman, 
and  excuse  attempted  by  its  colonel,  time  has  not  dimmed  my  recollec 
tion  as  to  it.  I  do  not  propose  that  the  laurels  shall  be  taken  from  the 
graves  of  our  comrades  and  placed  at  the  feet  of  a  regiment  that  ran 
away  and  left  them  to  their  fate.  It  will  be  hard  to  convince  the  surviv 
ors  of  the  glorious  old  Fifty-fifth,  who  felt  and  heard  the  whistle  of 
innumerable  rebel  bullets  down  the  ravine  from  the  right,  where  the 
Seventy-first  ought  to  have  been,  that  that  regiment  was  doing  its  duty. 
Months  after,  six  companies  of  the  same  regiment  were  disgracefully 
surrendered  by  the  same  colonel,  at  Clarksville,  Tennessee,  for  which  he 
and  eleven  or  twelve  line  officers  were  dismissed,  with  proper  contumely. 
It  is  needless  to  add  that  these  remarks  do  not  apply  to  the  brave  Lieu 
tenant-Colonel  Kyle,  who  lost  his  life  in  trying  to  rally  his  regiment,  nor 
to  its  adjutant  and  the  seventeen  men  who  staid  and  fought  with  the 
Fifty-fifth.  A  word  of  praise  may  be  also  well  bestowed  upon  a  beard 
less,  rosy-cheeked  boy,  named  B.  F.  Innyartt,  who  fought  in  the  ranks  of 
Company  I  after  his  regiment  had  fled  to  the  landing. 

It  was  at  this  point  that  word  was  sent  in  by  the  skirmishers  that 
cavalry  were  approaching  from  the  direction  of  the  creek  crossing. 
Here  for  probably  the  first  as  well  as  the  last  time  during  the  rebellion,  a 
hollow  square  was  formed  in  actual  battle.  It  was  shortly  reduced,  and 


A    SECTION    OF    A    BATTLE.  97 

line  of  battle  deliberately  formed.  An  examination  of  the  reports, 
recently  made  accessible  through  the  publications  of  congress,  shows 
this  to  have  been  caused  by  a  detachment  of  cavalry  commanded  by, 
Captain  Clanton,  and  sent  in  that  direction  to  discover  the  extent  of  the 
Union  line  on  that  flank.  During  the  contest  which  followed,  they  went 
far  to  our  left  and  rear,  but  took  no  great  part  in  the  combat,  though  they 
watered  their  horses  in  the  Tennessee  river. 

As  the  regiment  was  formed  in  line  of  battle,  after  reducing  the 
square,  just  to  its  rear  was  a  deep,  rugged  ravine  —  not  less  than  fifty 
feet  deep  —  the  southern  edge  of  which  became  the  line  of  battle  during 
the  terrible  conflict  which  followed,  and  to  reach  which  only  a  few  steps 
were  necessary.  Referring  again  to  a  recent  visit,  I  find  this  position 
to  be  from  fifty  to  sixty  rods  to  the  rear,  and  a  little  east  of  north  from 
the  camping  ground  of  our  regiment.  It  was  here  that  the  Fifty-fifth 
Illinois  and  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  made  such  a  glorious  stand.  It  was  here 
that  the  two  regiments  fought  and  struggled  with  a  tenacity  never 
excelled  on  that  battle-field.  It  was  here  that  for  more  than  two  hours 
the  rebel  right  was  held  in  bloody  conflict,  and  the  whole  Union  left  flank 
protected. 

I  assert  positively  that  not  a  foot  of  ground  was  yielded  from  the  south 
edge  of  this  ravine  until  after  two  o'clock  on  Sunday.  All  movements  of 
our  brigade,  up  to  this  point,  had  been  tactical,  either  in  anticipation  of 
an  attack  from  an  uncertain  direction,  or  in  search  of  a  proper  position. 
All  other  stands  or  conflicts,  sometimes  spoken  of,  were  of  little  conse 
quence.  At  this  time  the  regiment,  outside  of  its  skirmishers,  had  not 
lost  ten  men.  Nothing  but  its  camps  were  yielded,  and  that  was  neces 
sary,  from  the  nature  of  the  ground.  No  defensible  position  farther  to 
the  front  existed  then  or  now.  The  bluffs  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the 
creek  made  all  parts  of  our  camp,  or  any  extension  of  that  line,  abso 
lutely  indefensible.  By  accident  or  design,  the  position  we  assumed  was 
emphatically  the  best  at  hand,  and  had  our  flanks  been  protected,  we 
could  have  held  it  for  two  whole  days. 

It  now  becomes  important  to  inquire  how  many  men  the  regiment  had 
in  line  at  this,  the  supreme  moment  of  its  existence.  William  Preston 
Johnston,  in  his  able  work,  showing  far  more  research  upon  this  topic 
than  any  Northern  one,  gives  to  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  six  hundred  and 
fifty-seven  men  for  duty.  Adjutant  Nourse  says  six  hundred  and  fifty. 
Both  are  substantially  correct,  according  to  the  rolls  of  the  regiment. 
This,  however,  is  not  the  correct  number  of  fighting  men  gathered  upon 
the  edge  of  this  rugged  ravine.  From  this  must  be  eliminated  all 
stragglers  and  runaways  —  unfortunately  quite  numerous;  all  musicians; 
all  heretofore  killed  or  wounded;  camp  details;  wagoners,  etc.  Captain 
J.  T.  McAuley,  then  sergeant-major,  and  who  made  a  morning  report 
that  day,  says  the  regiment  had  in  line  just  five  hundred  arid  twelve  men. 
That  number  was  at  the  time  somehow  impressed  upon  my  mind,  and 
has  not  been  effaced  by  the  events  of  more  than  twenty  years.  While  I 
cannot  trace  the  source  of  my  knowledge  the  fact  remains  clear.  It  is 
7 


98  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

therefore  safe  to  assert,  that  at  this  juncture  but  few  more  than  five 
hundred  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  stood  ready  with  flashing  eyes  and 
beating  hearts  to  engage  in  the  impending  contest  with  overwhelming 
numbers. 

Colonel  Stuart  iterates  and  reiterates  in  his  report  that  he  had  here 
but  eight  hundred  men  of  his  brigade  present.  These  were  the  men, 
barring  the  few  already  injured,  who  shed  the  blood  and  are  entitled  to 
the  glory  of  this  isolated  conflict.  These  were  the  few  men  gathered  from 
happy  homes  in  Illinois  who,  without  experience  or  experienced  officers, 
without  the  guiding  star  of  a  brigadier  or  major-general,  without  a  single 
piece  of  artillery,  with  only  stern  patriotism  and  forty  rounds,  met 
the  great  wave  of  secession,  and  for  hours  withstood  it  upon  this  historic 
ravine.  When  they  left  it,  one-half  their  number  were  dead  or  bleeding 
upon  its  rugged  border. 

It  here  becomes  necessary  to  a  proper  appreciation  of  this  section  of 
the  battle,  that  we  ascertain  what  portion  of  the  Confederate  army  was 
opposed  to  the  eight  hundred  of  Stuart's  brigade  gathered  at  this  point. 
Every  history  concedes  that  all  of  Chalmers'  brigade  grappled  with  us. 
It  consisted  of  the  Fifth,  Seventh,  Ninth  and  Tenth  Mississippi,  the 
Fifty-second  Tennessee,  and  Gage's  batterv  —  in  all,  two  thousand  thirty- 
nine  men.  It  now  appears  that  Jackson's  brigade  was  also  engaged 
against  Stuart's  two  regiments.  This  brigade  embraced  the  Seventeenth, 
Eighteenth  and  Nineteenth  Alabama,  Second  Texas,  and  Girady's 
battery  —  in  all  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  eight  men.  If  this  be 
true,  then  these  two  regiments  of  Stuart's,  without  support  or  artillery, 
withstood  for  more  than  two  hours,  upon  the  borders  of  this  ravine,  the 
assaults  of  four  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty-seven  men  and  two 
batteries,  less  the  trifling  loss  they  had  already  incurred  in  the  assault 
upon  Prentiss. 

Up  to  a  recent  date  all  writers  on  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  following  the 
hiatus  in  Sherman's  report,  made  but  little  mention  of  Stuart's  brigade, 
speaking  of  it  in  general  terms  as  opposed  to  Chalmers'  brigade.  The 
isolated  character  of  the  contest  on  this  portion  of  the  field  —  a  part  of  a 
great  battle  made  up  of  detached  contests  —  affords  some  excuse  for  this 
cursory  but  unjust  method  of  treatment.  In  view  of  recent  congressional 
and  other  publications,  it  now  becomes  plain  that  in  addition  to  Chal 
mers'  brigade,  Jackson's  brigade  was  engaged  in  the  attack  upon  Stuart. 

Probably  the  most  elaborate  and  complete  history  of  the  battle  of 
Shiloh  yet  written  is  found  in  Colonel  Roman's  "  Life  of  General  Beaure- 
gard,"  upon  whose  staff  he  served,  and  from  his  pages  I  quote  in 
proof  of  the  above.  On  page  289,  Vol.  I.,  he  says  that  "  General  Johnston 
on  the  right  led  Chalmers'  and  Jackson's  brigades  back  across  the 
ravine,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  to  the  right,  until  the  right  of  Chalmers 
rested  on  Lick  Creek  bottom,  Jackson  forming  on  his  left,  where  they 
were  halted  about  half  an  hour  until  the  position  of  Stuart's  brigade 
could  be  ascertained."  Upon  page  292,  same  volume,  it  was  stated  that 
it  was  scarcely  ten  o'clock  when  Stuart's  skirmish  line  was  reached, 


A    SECTION    OF    A    BATTLE.  99 

Jackson  opening  the  conflict  under  General  Johnston's  personal  order. 
Speaking  of  the  principal  conflict  along  the  ravine,  he  describes  the 
ground  very  accurately,  and  says  Stuart  had  at  that  time  but  eight 
hundred  men,  and  that  he  maintained  a  creditable  resistance  against 
greatly  superior  numbers.  He  adds  in  a  note  that  Stuart  was  without 
artillery,  and  as  to  infantry  was  greatly  outnumbered.  On  the  following 
page,  in  speaking  of  the  position  of  Confederate  troops  at  that  time,  the 
author  says  that  on  the  extreme  right,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  other 
troops,  Chalmers'  and  Jackson's  brigades  of  Withers'  division  were 
carrying  on  the  attack  against  Stuart.  Upon  page  295,  in  speaking  of  a 
later  phase  of  the  battle,  he  says  that  these  two  brigades  had  been 
gradually  forcing  back  Stuart's  two  regiments,  sweeping  with  their  right 
the  Tennessee  bottom,  until  about  three  o'clock  Chalmers'  brigade  was 
struck  by  the  shells  of  the  gunboat  Tyler.  This  not  only  sustains  the 
assertion  that  Stuart's  two  regiments  fought  two  whole  brigades,  but 
shows  that  such  contest  was  kept  up  till  shortly  before  three  o'clock,  as 
will  be  further  commented  upon  hereafter. 

An  examination  of  the  reports  of  Withers,  Chalmers,  Jackson,  and 
their  subordinates,  shows  conclusively  that  these  two  brigades  acted 
together  and  were  engaged  against  Stuart's  two  regiments.  All  of  these 
reports  agree  that,  after  Prentiss'  left  was  driven  back,  the  two  brigades 
in  question  were  together  taken  from  three-fourths  of  a  mile  to  one  mile 
to  their  right  and  our  left.  The  slightest  knowledge  of  the  incidents  of 
the  battle  shows  that  no  troops  were  there  for  them  to  attack,  other  than 
Stuart's  brigade.  If  Jackson  was  not  so  engaged,  his  action  is  totally 
unaccounted  for.  Neither  of  these  brigade  commanders  or  their  subor 
dinates  speak  of  artillery  being  opposed  to  them  in  this  portion  of  the 
battle.  This  is  the  strongest  of  negative  testimony,  because  Stuart  had 
no  artillery  from  first  to  last  —  a  fact  hardly  existing  as  to  any  other 
brigade.  General  Jackson,  commanding  one  brigade,  says  that  after 
the  contest  with  Prentiss,  and  after  the  removal  of  perhaps  half  a  mile 
to  the  right,  he  took  position  on  the  left  of  General  Chalmers,  a  camp  of 
the  enemy,  just  opposite  his  centre.  Prentiss'  camps  had  before  that 
time  been  captured,  and  this  camp  opposite  his  centre  was  to  the 
rebel  right  half  a  mile.  No  camps  other  than  Stuart's  were  ever  there. 
Colonel  Wheeler,  commanding  the  Nineteenth  Alabama,  of  Jackson's 
brigade,  says  that  after  losing  a  few  men  in  the  attack  upon  the  left  of 
Prentiss,  they  were  marched  about  a  mile  to  the  right,  where  they  were 
engaged  the  remainder  of  the  day;  that  General  Johnston  ordered  the 
regiment  with  his  own  lips  to  charge  the  camp  of  the  Fifty-ninth  Illinois. 
Now,  the  Fifty-ninth  Illinois  was  not  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh  at 
all.  The  camp  of  no  Illinois  regiment,  other  than  the  Fifty-fifth,  was 
within  a  mile  of  that  place.  This  was  a  mile  or  so  to  the  left  of  Prentiss, 
and  where  there  were  no  camps  of  any  regiments  other  than  Stuart's 
brigade.  Hence  the  conclusion  is  irresistible  that  the  camp  he  calls  the 
Fifty-ninth  Illinois  was  that  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois.  He  might  easily 
mistake  the  number  of  the  regiment,  or  any  misprint  might  account  for 


100  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

it,  but  that  the  name  of  the  State  from  which  it  came  is  misstated,  is  not 
reasonable.  The  camp  of  no  regiment,  other  than  those  of  Stuart,  or 
those  already  captured,  could  have  been  reached  nearer  than  one  mile  to 
their  left  and  front.  As  a  further  proof  that  these  two  brigades  were 
acting  in  unison,  I  cite  Colonel  Moore,  of  the  Second  Texas,  Jackson's 
brigade,  who  states  that  they  were  moved  to  the  right  and  took  position 
in  the  front  line  of  battle  on  the  left  of  Chalmers'  brigade.  Further  on 
he  speaks  of  the  space  between  Jackson's  right  and  Chalmers'  left  as 
being  only  sufficient  for  three  companies,  which  he  filled,  and  of  advanc 
ing  to  the  aid  of  the  Mississippians.  Every  report  will  show  that  these 
two  brigades  co-operated,  and  were  connected  together  in  this  portion  of 
the  conflict.  In  further  support  of  my  assertion,  I  appeal  to  the  knowl 
edge  of  every  man  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  who  was  present,  and  who 
escaped,  for  proof  of  the  fact  that  more  than  one  battery  was  engaged 
against  us.  Their  own  observation  will  show  that  the  Confederate  line 
was  too  extensive  to  be  composed  of  only  one  brigade.  Chalmers  had 
but  one  battery,  the  other  must  have  belonged  to  Jackson's  command. 

I  now  restate  the  proposition  that  Stuart's  two  remaining  regiments, 
without  artillery,  engaged  the  whole  of  Chalmers'  and  Jackson's  brigades, 
consisting  of  nine  full  regiments  and  two  batteries,  or  four  thousand  two 
hundred  and  forty-seven  men,  exclusive  of  Clanton's  cavalry,  and  assert 
that  such  proposition  is  proved.  Most  Northern  accounts  either  fail  to 
state  how  long  this  overwhelming  force  was  held  in  check  upon  this 
ravine,  or  intimate  that  Stuart's  brigade  fell  back  about  noon.  Even 
William  Preston  Johnston,  in  most  particulars  so  accurate,  by  his  text 
infers,  and  by  his  map  shows,  Stuart's  brigade  much  further  to  the  rear 
at  noon.  The  position  shown  in  the  map  was  never  occupied  by  this 
brigade.  On  the  contrary,  not  one  foot  of  ground  was  yielded  from  this 
position,  just  in  rear  of  the  Hamburgh  road  and  close  by  their  camps, 
until  between  two  and  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  This  was  more 
than  six  hours  after  Prentiss'  division  and  the  three  brigades  with 
General  Sherman  were  repeatedly  driven  from  their  positions,  and  were 
far  to  the  rear  of  their  first  line. 

Using  every  means  of  knowledge  within  my  power — my  own  recol 
lection,  aided  by  that  of  every  one  present  with  whom  I  have  come  in 
contact,  and  inferences  drawn  from  various  reports,  I  conclude  that  the 
real  and  supreme  conflict  upon  the  edge  of  the  ravine,  so  frequently 
alluded  to,  commenced  about  or  a  little  before  noon.  Its  deadly  char 
acter  was  seldom  equalled  during  the  late  war,  and  never  again 
experienced  by  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois.  No  one  will  deny  but  that  this 
regiment  did  its  duty  everywhere  —  that  its  aggregate  losses  during  the 
war,  in  proportion  to  its  numbers,  were  among  the  largest.  Yet  upon  this 
one  spot,  inside  of  three  hours'  time,  it  lost  about  one-half  its  total 
casualties  for  the  war. 

When  we  take  into  account  that  this  conflict  was  in  direct  opposition 
to  the  Confederate  plan  of  turning  the  Union  left;  when  we  consider  that 
no  other  body  of  troops,  great  or  small,  was  between  this  point  and  the 


A    SECTION    OF    A    BATTLE.  IOI 

most  direct  route  to  the  landing;  when  defeat  of  Stuart  turned  the  whole 
Federal  left;  when  the  evident  fact  is  stated  that  no  other  portion  of  the 
Federal  left  was  nearer  than  three-fourths  of  a  mile,  or  what  is  more 
probable,  a  full  mile,  of  the  river,  the  great  importance  of  Stuart's  stout 
resistance  becomes  apparent. 

In  proof  of  the  assertion  that  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  did  not  yield  the 
point  in  question  until  between  two  and  three  o'clock,  I  cite  the  report  of 
Colonel  Stuart,  which  received  no  criticism  or  modification  at  the  hands 
of  General  Sherman.  Such  report  states  explicitly  that  the  conflict  lasted 
at  this  position  upward  "of  two  hours.  General  Hurlbut  states  in  his 
report  that,  at  about  three  o'clock,  Colonel  Stuart  sent  him  word  that  he 
was  driven  in.  A  half  hour  would  be  ample,  and  almost  an  unreasonable 
time  to  use  in  sending  such  word  to  Hurlbut,  especially  when  his  retreat 
was  in  the  same  direction.  Various  Confederate  reports  state  that  at  the 
close  of  this  conflict  they  were  greatly  exhausted  and  out  of  ammunition. 
It  is  known  to  every  survivor  of  the  Fifty-fifth  that  our  ammunition  was 
all  expended  at  the  time  of  leaving  the  ravine,  and  the  cartridges  of  the 
dead  and  wounded  were  used.  This  fact  is  also  stated  in  Colonel  Stuart's 
report.  Certainly,  two  hours  or  more  were  needed  to  expend  this  much 
"villainous  saltpetre."  General  Chalmers,  speaking  of  this  portion  of 
the  conflict,  and  alluding  to  the  retreat  of  our  men,  says:  "About  this 
time  the  gunboats  from  the  river  began  to  throw  their  shells  among  us." 

By  the  report  of  Lieutenant  Gwin,  commanding  the  gunboat  Tyler,  it 
appears  that  the  first  shot  was  fired  at  ten  minutes  before  three  o'clock. 
Colonel  Wheeler,  of  the  Nineteenth  Alabama,  already  cited,  in  speaking 
of  the  dislodgement  of  Stuart's  men,  says  it  was  about  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.  After  Hurlbut  received  word  from  Stuart  at  three  in  the 
afternoon,  he  began  to  draw  back,  which  movement  exposed  Prentiss 
and  Wallace,  and  was  followed  by  the  surrender  of  about  twenty-two 
hundred  men,  including  Prentiss.  The  latter  says  in  his  report,  his 
surrender  occurred  at  half-past  five  in  the  afternoon.  That  grand  old 
fighter,  Col.  W.  T.  Shaw,  of  the  Fourteenth  Iowa,  who  was  captured  on 
this  portion  of  the  field,  says  that  he  surrendered  at  a  quarter  before  six 
o'clock.  Notwithstanding  that  the  flamboyant  assertions  of  General 
McClernand  gave  color  to  the  idea  that  General  Prentiss  surrendered 
much  earlier  in  the  day,  it  is  now  settled  beyond  controversy  that  such 
event  occurred  about  the  time  mentioned.  All  Confederate  reports  agree 
with  this. 

The  troops  engaged  against  Stuart  participated  and  partly  brought 
about  this  surrender  which,  as  before  stated,  occurred  between  five  and 
six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  distance  from  where  they  fought  the 
Fifty-fifth  Illinois  to  the  point  of  surrender,  was  just  about  one  mile  to  the 
right  and  rear.  Certainly  not  more  than  two  and  a  half  hours  were  con 
sumed  in  making  that  distance,  when  practically  unopposed.  The 
reports  of  Withers  and  subordinates  all  concur  in  the  general  idea  that 
the  next  operation  they  engaged  in  was  the  capture  of  Prentiss,  and  that 
no  great  time  elapsed  after  Stuart  was  driven  from  his  position. 


102  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

Without  designing  to  make  this  a  sketch  of  personal  adventure,  I  will 
state  my  own  judgment  on  this  point,  and  my  reasons  therefor.  I  was 
the  first  time  wounded  upon  the  opposite  or  north  side  of  the  ravine,  just 
as  the  retreat  of  the  Fifty-fifth  had  commenced.  The  line  of  their  retreat 
obliqued  considerably  to  what  had  been  our  right  or  inland  from  the 
river,  while  I,  more  from  accident  than  design,  pursued  a  course  through 
the  ravine  toward  the  landing,  and  struck  the  river  at  the  place  where 
the  gunboats  first  commenced  firing. 

Somewhat  contrary  to  the  generally  received  opinion,  this  was  fully 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  up  stream  from  the  landing,  and  not  at  the 
mouth  of  the  large  ravine  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile  in  that  direction. 
To  reach  this  point  the  distance  traveled  was  just  about  three-quarters  of 
a  mile.  This  agrees  with  Colonel  Thorns'  map,  and  has  been  verified  by 
recent  inspection.  I  had  not  been  lying  on  the  bank  of  the  river  five 
minutes  when  the  first  shot  was  fired  from  the  gunboat,  and  I  heard  the 
order  given  for  that  purpose.  Making  all  allowance  for  my  disabled 
condition  and  subsequent  wounds,  and  also  considering  the  help  I 
obtained,  I  could  not  have  been  more  than  half  an  hour  in  reaching  that 
point.  I  took  considerable  interest  in  getting  away. 

The  time  when  the  first  shot  was  fired  from  the  gunboats,  as  before 
stated,  is  definitely  settled  as  occurring  ten  minutes  before  three  o'clock. 
In  fact,  it  was  the  falling  back  of  Stuart  that  made  it  safe  for  the  gun 
boats  to  open,  and  placed  Chalmers'  command  within  reach  of  its  shells. 
All  this  furnishes  conclusive  proof  of  what  is  known  personally  to  every 
one  of  Stuart's  brigade  present  and  now  living,  viz:  that  the  line  just  at 
the  rear  of  their  camp,  and  along  this  ravine,  was  not  abandoned  until 
after  two  o'clock. 

I  have  thus  tried,  in  the  light  of  reports  lately  made  public,  and  in 
unison  with  the  knowledge  of  all  survivors,  confirmed  by  recent  personal 
examination,  to  do  justice  to  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  as  to  facts  not  gener 
ally  appearing  in  the  literature  of  this  great  battle.  To  do  all  this,  that 
regiment  suffered  a  terrible  baptism  of  fire.  Its  loss  exceeded  that  of 
any  other  regiment  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  except  the  Ninth 
Illinois.  The  best  authority  on  this  point  is  undoubtedly  the  table  given 
in  the  tenth  volume  of  the  Rebellion  Records,  as  published  by  congress. 
It  is  made  up  from  a  full  examination  of  all  available  documents.  It 
differs  in  giving  a  very  few  more  killed  and  wounded  than  the  report  of 
General  Sherman,  dated  April  gth.  The  latter,  within  forty-eight  hours 
after  the  battle,  and  half  that  time  having  been  occupied  by  an  advance 
towards  Monterey,  could  not  have  gathered  material  for  a  report  of 
absolute  correctness.  The  table  referred  to  gives  the  loss  of  the  Fifty- 
fifth  Illinois  as  fifty-one  killed  and  one  hundred  ninety-seven  wounded, 
being  a  total  of  two  hundred  forty-eight,  exclusive  of  missing. 

For  performing  the  deeds  and  suffering  the  loss  herein  described,  this 
brigade  gets  this,  and  only  this,  beggarly  mention  in  the  report  of  its 
division  commander:  "  My  second  brigade,  Colonel  Stuart,  was  detached 
near  two  miles  from  my  headquarters.  He  had  to  fight  his  own  battle  on 


A    SECTION     OF    A    BATTLE.  103 

Sunday,  as  the  enemy  interposed  between  him  and  General  Prentiss 
early  in  the  day."  Then  follows  a  mention  of  Colonels  Stuart  and  Smith, 
and  the  statement  that  he  has  not  yet  received  the  report  of  Colonel 
Stuart,  and  therefore  forbears  to  mention  names.  All  his  elaborate 
remarks  are  devoted  to  the  other  brigades  and  regiments  of  his  division^ 
and  he  does  not  even  name  the  glorious  old  Fifty-fifth.  So  far  as  he  is 
concerned,  it  had  no  existence,  except  that  it  is  named  in  the  table  of 
killed  and  wounded.  Had  it  not  in  fact  existed,  I  opine  the  history  of  the 
battle  of  Shiloh  would  have  been  different,  and  the  galaxy  of  stars 
possibly  less. 

In  order  to  estimate  the  full  measure  of  glory  due  to  this  regiment,  it 
becomes  necessary  to  compare  the  price  of  blood  which  it  paid,  with 
that  of  others  who  paid  less  but  gathered  more. 

Sherman's  division  consisted  of  twelve  regiments  of  infantry,  four 
batteries  and  two  battalions  of  cavalry,  yet  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  lost 
about  one-sixth  of  the  killed  and  wounded  of  that  division.  The  Fifty- 
fifth  Illinois  lost  more  than  five-eighths  of  the  killed,  and  more  than  one- 
half  the  wounded  of  its  own  brigade.  The  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  lost  five- 
sixths  as  many  killed  and  nearly  as  many  wounded  as  the  whole  of 
Hildebrand's  brigade.  If  we  eliminate  from  the  loss  of  that  brigade  the 
loss  of  the  Seventy-seventh  Ohio  on  April  8th,  which  is  included  in 
Sherman's  report  as  losses  at  Shiloh,  then  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  lost  more 
than  the  whole  brigade.  Such  loss,  on  the  8th  of  April  referred  to,  was 
in  a  reconnoissance,  wherein  the  Seventy-seventh  Ohio  inadvertently  got 
in  the  way  of  and  was  run  over  by  Forrest's  cavalry  —  an  awful  warning 
to  infantry  regiments  to  keep  out  of  the  way  of  cavalry. 

The  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  lost  two-fifths  more  killed  and  about  as  many 
wounded  as  Buckland's  brigade  of  the  same  division.  These  last  two 
brigades  formed  to  the  right  and  left  of  Shiloh  church,  at  the  very  key 
point  of  the  position,  and  were  under  the  personal  observation  and  com 
mand  of  General  Sherman,  and  at  his  hands  gets  pages  of  praise,  apology 
or  mild  censure.  Most  of  these  regiments  lost  fewer  killed  than  some 
companies  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  and  few  of  them  many  more,  except  the 
Seventy-seventh  Ohio.  The  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  lost  about  one-thirtieth  of 
the  total  killed  and  wounded  of  Grant's  entire  army,  engaged  both  days, 
which  army  consisted  of  over  seventy  regiments  of  infantry,  more  than 
twenty  batteries,  and  several  thousand  cavalry.  Prentiss'  division  com 
prised  ten  large  regiments  of  infantry,  two  batteries  and  eight  companies 
of  cavalry;  yet  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  lost  about  one-fourth  as  many 
killed  and  wounded  as  this  whole  division,  which  occupied  a  position  of 
especial  importance. 

Lew  Wallace  brought  upon  the  field,  the  second  day  of  the  battle, 
about  sixty-five  hundred  men,  who  go  "thundering  down  the  ages  "in 
gorgeous  rhetoric;  yet  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  lost  twenty-five  per  cent, 
more  killed  and  only  twenty  per  cent,  less  wounded  than  that  whole 
division. 


104  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

General  Buell  brought  to  battle  on  the  second  day,  according  to  dif 
ferent  authorities,  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  thousand  men.  It  has  been 
strenuously  claimed,  in  certain  quarters,  that  they  saved  the  battle  from 
utter  defeat,  and  waded  through  seas  of  blood.  Their  literature  is  lurid 
with  flaming  diction.  The  smallest  private  in  the  rear  rank  on  the 
extreme  left  often  gets,  at  the  hands  of  his  superior,  more  praise  than 
the  entire  Fifty-fifth  Illinois;  yet  the  latter  regiment  lost  more  than  one- 
fifth  as  many  killed,  and  one-ninth  as  many  wounded,  as  this  great  body, 
nearly  fifty  times  larger  than  itself.  It  is  not  insinuated  but  that  they 
did  their  duty;  but  their  fighting  was  child's  play  compared  with  that  of 
the  first  day,  and  very  few  of  its  large  regiments  lost  as  many  as  the 
average  company  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois. 

It  is  only  common  justice  to  claim  for  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  and 
Fifty-fourth  Ohio  that,  hid  away  in  the  deep  woods  and  among  the  rugged 
ravines  on  the  extreme  left  flank  at  Shiloh,  they  performed  deeds  of 
magnificent  valor  that  entitled  them  to  conspicuous  mention. 

In  view  of  these  facts,  is  it  any  wonder  that  we  are  disposed  to  mur 
mur  at  the  parsimony  of  General  Sherman's  praise?  Is  it  unreasonable 
that  we  claim  a  place  in  the  history  we  helped  make?  May  we  not,  even 
at  this  late  date,  place  garlands  upon  the  graves  of  our  comrades?  If 
those  whose  spurs  we  helped  win,  and  whose  stars  we  helped  fix,  fail  to 
write  for  us,  may  we  not  pen  our  own  eulogy?  Our  dead  comrades  lie  in 
unnamed  graves;  others  go  halting  and  crippled  through  life;  others 
still  are  bowed  and  suffering  from  disease.  Thank  God,  it  was  given  us 
to  do.  Few  could  have  done  as  well,  none  better.  Men  must  bleed  and 
die,  widows  and  orphans  weep,  and  mothers  mourn,  to  save  nations. 

In  all  herein  written,  I  accord  to  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  its  share  of 
praise.  Their  living  stood  with  ours,  shoulder  to  shoulder,  in  battle. 
The  rich  warm  blood  ran  out  from  their  ranks  and  mingled  with  ours, 
and  the  same  earth  drank  it  up.  The  same  stars  at  the  same  hour  shone 
upon  the  faces  of  our  dead  and  their  dead.  The  same  breeze  that  wafted 
the  white  soul  of  an  Illinois  boy  to  its  Maker,  down  the  line  a  little  way 
kissed  the  pallid  lips  of  the  Ohio  hero.  We  shall  be  glad  to  meet  them 
on  earth.  We  hope  to  meet  them  in  heaven. 

The  foregoing  covers  the  most  important  as  well  as  the 
most  sanguinary  part  performed  by  the  Fifty-fifth  in  the  bat 
tle  of  Shiloh.  During  the  retreat  across  the  ravine,  the  south 
side  of  which  had  been  occupied  up  to  that  time,  the  loss 
was  beyond  expression  frightful.  Among  others,  the  writer 
fell  grievously  wounded,  upon  the  brow  of  the  opposite  hill, 
a  fact  not  important  to  the  issues  then  pending,  but  of  some 
importance  at  this  juncture,  inasmuch  as  the  events  which 
for  some  months  followed  must  be  related  without  the  aid  of 
personal  recollection;  and  since  the  work  in  hand  requires  a 


MOVEMENTS    FOR    POSITION.  105 

minuteness  of  detail  not  at  all  necessary  in  general  histories, 
this  is  felt  to  be  a  serious  disadvantage. 

The  contest  on  the  south  side  of  the  ravine,  as  has  been 
stated  and  since  fully  verified,  lasted  until  some  minutes 
after  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  At  that  time  every  regi 
ment  which  formed  the  front  line  in  the  morning  had  been 
for  some  hours  from  one  to  three  miles  in  rear  of  their  camps, 
where  they  first  essayed  a  stand.  In  estimating  the  impor 
tance  of  this,  too  much  weight  cannot  be  given  to  the  fact 
heretofore  mentioned,  that  upon  this  ground  the  rebel  right 
wing  was  vigorously  striving  to  perform  its  part  in  the  grand 
left  wheel  contemplated  in  their  order  of  battle.  That  they 
were  delayed  in  the  execution  of  that  design  until  after  two 
o'clock,  is  an  episode  of  national  importance,  and  there  is  no 
danger  of  overpraise  of  the  two  regiments  accountable  for  it. 
Among  the  myths  clinging  to  the  literature  of  Shiloh  is  an 
occasional  mention  of  the  different  positions  occupied  by 
Stuart  before  the  real  battle  along  the  ravine  to  the  left  rear 
of  his  camps.  These  are  some  times  spoken  of  as  though  he 
had  been  driven  repeatedly.  Such,  however,  was  not  the 
case.  It  is  true  that  the  brigade  was  kept  moving  vaguely 
from  place  to  place,  as  suited  the  bewildered  notions  of  its 
commander,  but  such  movements  were  not  the  result  of  pres 
sure  from  the  enemy,  and  not  one  volley  was  fired  during 
their  progress.  No  attempt  was  made  to  defend  the  camps, 
and  not  one  position  was  assumed  which  covered  or  protected 
them.  The  idea  seemed  to  be  that  there  was  great  danger  of 
being  flanked  on  the  left,  and  the  first  movement  of  the  bri 
gade  placed  it  entirely  east  of  the  line  of  its  encampments. 
This  is  exactly  in  contrast  to  the  course  pursued  by  Generals 
Prentiss  and  Sherman,  who  at  first  established  their  lines  in 
front  of  their  respective  camps,  and  retreated  through  them, 
and  lost  them  very  early  because  they  were  driven  by  force 
of  circumstances. 

After  Stuart's  brigade  formed  in  the  ridiculous  position 
along  the  border  of  Locust  Creek,  and  directly  under  the 
bluff  an  the  opposite  side,  several  changes  took  place,  all 
according  to  order  and  not  under  fire.  Such  changes  of  loca 
tion  all  tended  toward  the  rear  and  slightly  to  the  left  of  the 


106  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

first  one  assumed,  but  covered  only  a  small  space  of  ground, 
and  were  fully  commanded  by  the  high  bluffs  close  at  hand. 
Finally  the  line  of  battle  stretched  along  in  the  edge  of  the 
timber  just  in  rear  of  the  open  field  to  the  left  of  the  camp 
of  the  Fifty-fifth,  that  regiment  being  then  about  five  hun 
dred  yards  due  east  of  its  quarters.  Up  to  this  point  all 
formations  had  faced  due  south,  but  here  an  attempt  was 
made  to  change  front  so  that  the  line  of  battle  would  face 
southeast,  or  directly  down  the  Hamburgh  road,  toward  the 
crossing  of  Locust  Creek.  This,  fortunately,  failed,  owing 
to  the  absurd  tactics  used.  A  left  half-wheel  by  company 
was  ordered,  which  of  course  broke  each  regiment  into  ten 
fragments,  and  utterly  destroyed  the  continuity  of  the  line. 
Meanwhile  the  skirmishers  had  become  warmly  engaged,  and 
the  bullets  of  the  rebels  began  to  whistle  over  the  heads  of  the 
men  forming  in  their  rear.  As  soon  as  the  change  of  front 
referred  to  had  fairly  commenced,  the  companies  began  to 
crowd  and  overlap  each  other.  The  men,  though  courageous, 
were  wrought  into  a  state  of  nervous  intensity,  and  in  a 
moment  all  were  taken  off  their  feet  and  a  wild  stampede 
followed.  At  this  crisis,  the  conduct  of  Colonel  Stuart  was 
magnificent.  He  spurred  his  horse  beyond  the  vortex  of  the 
disorder  which  surrounded  him,  and,  like  a  chief  of  ten  thou 
sand,  faced  the  throng  of  excited  and  disorganized  men,  and 
with  eyes  flashing,  and  voice  ringing  through  the  woods  like 
a  trumpet,  commanded  them  to  halt.  The  incubus  of  Euro 
pean  tradition  was  forgotten  in  the  emergency  at  hand,  and 
his  superb  magnetism  impressed  itself  upon  the  multitude 
instantly.  If  Stuart  had  then  died,  he  would  have  been  can 
onized  in  the  hearts  of  his  men.  Suddenly  the  men  stopped, 
and  seemed  to  realize  the  impending  disgrace.  The  officers 
proceeded  at  once  to  reform  their  companies  on  any  ground 
and  place  them  afterwards  in  line  of  battle.  Fortunately  no 
aggressive  movement  of  the  enemy  interfered  with  this,  and 
the  men  regained  their  poise,  ready  and  anxious  to  do  their 
duty.  More  than  this,  they  felt  and  vigorously  expressed  an 
intense  spirit  of  determination  to  atone  for  what  had  just 
happened.  The  distance  of  this  flight  was  not  over  two  hun 
dred  yards,  to  the  right  and  rear,  and  brought  the  regiment 


FANTASTIC    TACTICS.  IO7 

almost  to  the  exact  spot  where  it  fought  so  bravely  a  short 
time  after.  During  this  unpremeditated  movement  a  few 
scattering  bullets  took  effect,  and  among  others,  Captain 
Wright  received  his  first  wound.  As  yet  the  regiment  had 
not  fired  a  volley,  though  it  appears  that  some  of  the  men 
fired  individual  shots.  Word  was  shortly  sent  in  from  the 
skirmish  line  that  cavalry  was  crossing  at  the  ford  of  Locust 
Creek,  and  European  ideas  came  to  the  front  again,  and  hol 
low  squares  were  formed,  probably  for  the  only  time  on  the 
field  of  battle  during  the  rebellion.  It  seems  providential 
that  no  advance  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  occurred  until 
these  tactical  monstrosities  were  reduced,  otherwise  the  lau 
rels  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  and  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  would 
have  withered  in  the  infamy  of  a  wild  race  to  the  rear,  with 
the  Seventy-first  Ohio.  That  the  two  regiments  did  endure 
without  disintegration  and  fatal  panic  these  fantastic  and 
erratic  evolutions,  perhaps  entitles  them,  from  a  military 
point  of  view,  to  the  highest  credit  ever  earned  by  them.  A 
few  steps  to  the  rear  was  the  rugged  ravine,  the  best  position 
on  that  portion  of  the  field,  where  shortly  afterward  a  con 
flict  took  place,  vital  to  the  safety  of  the  whole  army. 

Allusion  has  been  made  to  the  fact  that  Chalmers'  and 
Jackson's  brigades  were  entirely  detached  from  the  Confed 
erate  army,  and  moved  east  for  the  sole  purpose  of  meeting 
Stuart's  brigade.  As  this  is  somewhat  peculiar,  and  closely 
involved  in  the  events  germain  to  the  purpose  of  this  narra 
tive,  a  more  detailed  account  of  why  and  how  such  singular 
movement  happened,  may  not  be  uninteresting.  Knowledge 
of  this  has  been  obtained  after  long  effort,  and  is  here  for 
the  first  time  given  to  the  public.  As  has  been  repeatedly 
stated,  Stuart's  brigade  formed  the  extreme  left  of  the  Fed 
eral  army,  being  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  to  the  left 
and  rear  of  Prentiss.  The  rebel  attack  faced  northeast,  and 
first  struck  the  last  mentioned  general's  command,  and  then 
turned  north;  and  had  the  Confederates  followed  General 
Prentiss'  line  of  retreat,  they  would  have  passed  to  the  right 
of  Stuart  and  more  than  half  a  mile  away.  In  other  words, 
had  the  battle  proceeded  as  the  first  assault  indicated,  this 
brigade  would  have  been  outside  its  scope.  Early  Sunday 


108  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

morning  General  Bragg,  while  directing  movements  near 
Shiloh  church,  dispatched  Captain  Lockett,  with  three  or 
four  cavalrymen,  toward  the  Union  left,  to  find  the  extreme 
flank  in  that  quarter.  This  officer,  subsequently  an  engineer 
of  note  in  the  rebel  army,  and  still  living,  passed  from  point 
to  point  along  the  bluffs  south  of  Locust  Creek,  and  being 
careful  to  attract  no  attention,  and  there  being  no  outposts 
to  discover  him,  overlooked  the  camps  along  his  route  at 
leisure.  He  reached  the  high  point  of  bluff  near  at  hand, 
just  in  time  to  see  Stuart's  brigade  falling  into  line,  in  conse 
quence  of  the  long  roll  then  sounding  the  alarm.  He  watched 
the  formation  of  these  troops  until  they  marched  down  the 
road  eastward,  toward  the  crossing  of  Locust  Creek,  and 
knowing  this  movement  to  be  far  beyond  the  Confederate 
right  flank,  came  to  the  reasonable  conclusion  that  it  was 
intended  as  a  flank  attack  upon  their  army.  He  hastily  dis 
patched  a  courier  to  the  Confederate  commander,  but  becom 
ing  impatient,  and  deeming  the  danger  serious,  followed 
himself  immediately.  Upon  receiving  such  report  from  Cap 
tain  Lockett,  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  instantly  withdrew 
Chalmers'  and  Jackson's  brigades  from  the  pursuit  of  Prentiss 
and  filed  them  to  the  rear,  across  the  head-waters  of  Locust 
Creek,  to  the  high  ground  beyond.  From  thence  he  led 
them  in  person  due  east,  to  operate  against  Stuart's  brigade, 
which  he  believed  was  attempting  to  flank  his  army.  After 
placing  them  in  position  overlooking  the  camps,  and  ordering 
the  attack  to  proceed,  he  returned  toward  the  right,  to  meet 
his  death  a  few  hours  later,  at  the  hands  of  Hurlbut's  men, 
about  one-half  mile  away  from  the  Fifty-fifth.  It  is  needless 
to  add  that  the  aimless  movements  of  Stuart's  brigade  were 
never  intended  for  any  such  aggression. 

To  some  it  may  seem  singular  that  the  main  line  of  Stuart's 
brigade  was  not  engaged  until  near  noon.  The  operations 
just  described  principally  account  for  it,  and  the  Confederate 
reports  fully  explain  the  details.  Captain  Lockett  returned 
to  the  Confederate  commander  with  his  information  about 
eight  o'clock.  Chalmers  and  Jackson  had  just  been  brought 
from  the  rear,  and  were  involved  in  a  pell-mell  pursuit  of 
Prentiss.  They  were  halted  and  withdrawn,  as  before  stated, 


THE    RETREAT.  109 

and  took  a  course  which  led  them  over  two  miles  of  very 
rough  ground,  and  with  their  artillery  they  moved  cautiously, 
as  was  prudent  under  the  circumstances.  They  reached  the 
high  ground  opposite  Stuart's  camps  at  about  ten  or  half-past 
ten  o'clock.  Here  a  long  halt  ensued,  to  await  the  result  of 
Captain  Clanton's  cavalry  reconnoissance.  Upon  the  first 
advance  the  Federal  skirmishers  were  found,  who  made  such 
stout  resistance  that  all  the  rebel  reports  refer  to  it  as  a 
serious  conflict,  during  which  one  of  their  regiments  stam 
peded  from  the  field.  After  the  falling  back  of  the  skirm 
ishers,  Chalmers'  and  Jackson's  brigades  were  transferred  to 
the  north  side  of  Locust  Creek,  and  deployed  in  battle  order. 
All  the  ground  taken  was  first  explored  by  skirmishers  —  a 
discreet  but  slow  process.  It  was  talked  of  at  the  time,  and 
perhaps  it  was  true,  that  the  hollow  square  exhibition  induced 
extra  caution,  it  being  so  ridiculous  that  it  was  looked  upon 
as  a  ruse  to  induce  an  attack.  It  was  certainly  calculated  to 
deceive  any  one  who  was  inclined  to  apply  the  rules  of  com 
mon  sense  to  practical  warfare.  All  this,  taken  in  connection 
with  the  raw  condition  of  the  attacking  force,  sufficiently 
accounts  for  the  passing  time. 

Shortly  before  the  final  departure  from  the  place  of  con_ 
flict,  and  after  hundreds  of  men  had  been  killed  and  wounded, 
an  order  was  conveyed  along  the  Fifty-fifth  to  cease  firing, 
about  face,  and  retreat.  The  command  was  obeyed,  and  the 
whole  line  turned  to  the  rear.  After  taking  a  few  steps  a 
countermanding  order  was  given,  and  every  man  turned  back 
up  the  hill  and  resumed  his  deadly  employment,  with  perfect 
deliberation.  This  short  episode  amounted  to  scarcely  an 
interruption,  and  is  alluded  to  because  it  reflects  the  highest 
credit  upon  these  young  soldiers,  who  were  now  for  the  first 
time  under  fire. 

Finally  a  positive  command  was  given  to  fall  back,  and 
the  Fifty-fifth  and  Fifty-fourth,  at  almost  precisely  a  quarter 
past  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  turned  away  from  the  foe. 
McArthur's  brigade,  which  had  attempted  to  reach  Stuart 
early  in  the  day,  but  had  become  engaged  a  half  mile  away, 
had  been  driven  from  its  position  more  than  two  hours  before. 
The  Forty-first  and  Forty-second  Illinois,  two  of  Hurlbut's 


110  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

regiments,  which  had  taken  almost  the  exact  ground  aban 
doned  by  McArthur,  had  just  given  way  under  the  fierce 
assaults  of  two  of  Breckenridge's  brigades,  which  had  to  be 
encouraged  to  their  work  by  the  dashing  Kentuckian  himself, 
the  governor  of  Tennessee,  and  the  Confederate  commander- 
in-chief — the  last  of  whom  was  killed.  Farther  to  the  right 
the  regiments  of  Prentiss  and  Sherman  had  long  been  far  to 
the  rear,  and  thus,  when  the  order  came  at  the  time  named, 
Stuart's  few  men  were  the  last  ones  to  leave  the  ground  as 
sumed  for  defence  at  the  opening  of  the  battle. 

There  were  no  precautions  used  to  cover  such  retreat,  and 
the  alleged  skill  acquired  in  European  schools  and  in  the 
Mexican  war  did  not  assert  itself  in  this  the  hour  of  need. 
Stuart's  fragments,  consisting  of  less  than  five  hundred  men, 
turned  to  the  rear  and  made  a  rush  for  the  opposite  side  of 
the  ravine.  This  was  a  gorge  about  one  hundred  feet  deep, 
and  as  many  yards  across.  The  ravine  on  the  right,  and  the 
woods  and  gullies  in  front,  were  swarming  with  Confederates 
ready  to  make  a  dash  as  soon  as  the  deadly  fire  of  the  Fed 
erals  ceased.  Almost  instantly  the  ground  left  was  occupied 
by  swarms  of  exultant  and  yelling  rebels,  who  now,  without 
danger  to  themselves,  poured  a  shower  of  bullets  down  upon 
and  among  the  fugitives.  Major  Whitfield  of  the  Ninth 
Mississippi,  who  commanded  the  rebel  skirmishers  in  that 
quarter,  said  in  a  recent  conversation  with  the  writer,  "We 
were  right  on  top  of  you."  "It  was  like  shooting  into  a  flock 
of  sheep."  "I  never  saw  such  cruel  work  during  the  war." 
To  the  torment  of  Chalmers'  and  Jackson's  infantry  was 
added  the  grape  and  canister  of  two  rebel  batteries  close  at 
hand.  So  through  this  valley  of  death  went  the  less  than 
"six  hundred,"  leaving  bleeding  victims  at  every  step,  and  up 
the  opposite  side  the  merciless  fire  was  a  veritable  cyclone. 

The  course  of  retreat  inclined  inland  toward  the  centre  of 
the  battle-field,  and  a  few  hundred  yards  placed  the  men  in 
comparative  safety,  for  the  rebels  did  not  at  once  advance 
beyond  the  position  they  had  just  attained.  Their  reports 
are  replete  with  tales  of  complete  exhaustion,  fearful  losses, 
and  want  of  ammunition  at  this  juncture,  and  indeed  they 
had  paid  a  fearful  tribute  to  the  ferocious  fighting  of  Stuart's 


AMMUNITION    EXHAUSTED.  Ill 

few  men.  They  remained  at  the  place  they  had  just  captured 
for  two  hours,  when  they  were  found  by  General  Bragg  and 
hurried  toward  the  centre  of  the  field,  to  the  place  of  the  so- 
called  Prentiss  surrender. 

After  going  about  four  hundred  yards  the  remainder  of 
the  Fifty-fifth  and  Fifty-fourth  halted  readily  at  the  first 
command.  Up  to  that  moment  the  two  regiments  could  not 
have  lost  less  than  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  men,  killed 
and  wounded,  and  were  further  reduced  by  the  loss  of  some 
prisoners  and  stragglers.  Four  companies  of  the  Fifty-fourth 
were  still  absent  upon  duty,  as  before  mentioned.  No  amount 
of  figuring  can  make  more  than  four  hundred  and  fifty  men 
present  to  form  the  new  line;  yet  it  was  done,  and  prepara 
tions  were  made  to  meet  the  further  advance  of  the  enemy. 
At  this  juncture  Captain  Slattery  suggested  the  examination 
of  the  cartridge  boxes,  and  it  was  quickly  disclosed  that  less 
than  two  rounds  of  ammunition  per  man  remained.  Nothing 
was  left  but  to  follow  the  route  to  the  rear,  and  finally  the  line 
came  into  the  Hamburgh  road  near  Hurlbut's  headquarters, 
about  one  mile  from  the  landing.  Following  the  course  of 
the  road,  the  high  ground  near  the  river  was  reached  about 
four  o'clock,  with  every  company  yet  organized,  compact  and 
in  fighting  trim,  where  the  remaining  four  companies  of  the 
Fifty-fourth  Ohio,  under  Major  Fisher,  soon  joined  the  line. 

All  along  the  course  of  this  retreat  of  over  two  miles,  not 
one  orderly  body  of  Federal  troops  was  met,  showing  the 
defenceless  condition  of  the  entire  left  flank.  Indeed,  the 
retirement  of  Stuart's  two  regiments  left  a  broad  way  open 
and  unobstructed  to  the  landing.  Why  then  did  not  Chal 
mers  and  Jackson,  and  their  division  commander,  Withers, 
who  was  present,  avail  themselves  of  this  unusual  chance  of 
war?  Clearly  because  the  intensity,  the  energy  and  cohesion 
had  been  crushed  out  of  their  men  by  the  splendid  resistance 
of  eight  hundred  infantry.  Confederate  reports,  known  to 
far  understate  the  truth,  place  the  losses  of  Chalmers'  and 
Jackson's  brigades  in  killed  and  wounded,  during  the  battle, 
at  eight  hundred  and  seventy-six.  More  than  two-thirds  of 
this  loss  must  have  been  at  the  hands  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illi 
nois  and  Fifty-fourth  Ohio.  Is  it  any  wonder,  therefore,  that 


112  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

these  undisciplined  Confederates  remained  inert  for  some 
time  after  they  had  suffered  such  an  unmerciful  pounding? 

Stuart,  while  on  the  retreat,  was  directed  by  a  staff  officer 
of  General  Grant's  to  where  ammunition  could  be  obtained, 
and  pursuing  the  course  directed  soon  reached  the  point  near 
the  landing,  before  mentioned.  At  that  time  Hurlbut  was 
directing  the  two  splendid  brigades  with  him,  which  he  had 
handled  with  a  skill  not  exceeded  on  that  field,  to  a  position 
on  the  same  front.  The  crisis  of  the  battle  then  converged 
around  the  centre  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  vague  location 
called  the  "hornets'  nest."  Along  that  line  the  well  ordered 
battalions  of  W.  H.  L.  Wallace,  aided  by  the  fragments  Pren- 
tiss  had  saved  from  the  drift  of  the  field,  and  a  few  regiments 
beside,  maintained  a  stout  contest,  without  which  the  battle 
of  Shiloh  would  have  been  lost.  Yet  further  to  the  right, 
and  along  Tillman's  Creek,  McClernand  was  pugnaciously 
keeping  up  a  desultory  resistance,  creditable  to  himself  and 
the  cause.  Of  the  nine  regiments  of  General  Sherman's 
immediate  command,  which  were  in  his  vicinity  when  he 
"became  satisfied  for  the  first  time  that  the  enemy  designed 
a  determined  attack,"  it  is  doubtful  if  one  was  in  line  with 
its  organization  complete,  and  certain  that  no  two  of  them 
were  together. 

Returning  again  toward  the  river,  we  find  the  Fifty-fifth 
Illinois  and  Fifty-fourth  Ohio,  as  they  had  been  in  the  morn 
ing,  forming  the  extreme  left  flank  of  the  whole  Union  army. 
Their  line  was  stout-hearted,  but  fearfully  short-handed,  the 
living  being  not  much  more  numerous  than  the  dead  and 
wounded  left  behind;  but  they  were  worth  more  to  the  cause 
than  the  thousands  of  shivering  wretches  cowering  under  the 
river  bank,  just  in  their  rear.  ^  Presently  Hurlbut,  with  his 
compact  regiments,  formed  on  the  right,  and  Stuart's  brigade, 
for  the  first  time  since  the  battle  commenced,  was  connected 
with  other  troops. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  drift  of  almost 
the  whole  rebel  army  was  toward  the  centre  before  described, 
where  one  of  the  most  defensible  positions  on  the  field  was 
being  held.  This  had  been  the  course  pursued  by  the  assail 
ants  during  the  whole  day,  namely,  to  converge  and  rush  upon 


THE    CONFEDERATES'    OPPORTUNITY.  1 13 

points  of  resistance  with  but  little  reference  to  flanking  tac 
tics.  That  Stuart's  brigade  was  enabled  to  hold  its  first 
ground  so  long  was  due  to  the  same  brave  but  ill-regulated 
plan.  Chalmers  and  Jackson  could  have  passed  the  Union 
left  and  gone  to  the  landing  as  easily  as  did  the  Fifty-fifth, 
but  when  they  did  move  it  was  under  the  personal  direction 
of  General  Bragg,  who  led  them  toward  the  then  scene  of 
conflict.  Events  in  that  quarter  culminated  in  considerable 
captures  from  the  Federals,  and  the  death  of  the  lamented 
General  Wallace  of  Illinois.  At  this  time  the  Confederate 
rank  and  file  seem  to  have  been  much  elated,  and  to  have 
dispersed  somewhat  in  search  of  plunder,  as  though  the  bat 
tle  was  won.  Thus  some  moments  of  precious  respite  were 
given  the  panting  Union  army,  and  time  was  gained  to  plant 
batteries  and  form  troops  at  the  rear,  on  the  line  of  the  even 
ing.  The  rebel  generals,  having  a  better  understanding  than 
their  men  of  what  remained  to  be  done,  made  strenuous 
efforts  toward  re-forming  and  deployment,  for  the  purpose  of 
pushing  the  conquest  to  complete  victory,  then  almost  in 
sight.  Chalmers  and  Jackson  were  untangled  from  the  mass 
and  again  took  position  upon  the  extreme  rebel  right. 

About  five  hundred  yards  south  of  where  the  Fifty-fifth 
and  Fifty-fourth  were  placed  was  an  enormous  ravine,  run 
ning  parallel  with  their  front,  called  Dill's  Branch.  Into  this 
these  two  brigades  filed,  and  again  the  mutations  of  the  con 
fused  battle  brought  the  combatants  of  the  morning  front  to 
front.  The  right  of  the  Fifty-fifth  rested  near  the  forks  of 
the  Corinth  and  Purdy  road.  Upon  its  left,  as  usual,  were  the 
gallant  Zouaves,  which  regiment  extended  the  line  a  little 
beyond  the  log  building  used  as  a  hospital,  and  to  within 
about  two  hundred  yards  of  the  top  of  the  bluffs  overlooking 
the  Tennessee.  General  Hurlbut,  in  a  calm  review  written 
some  time  after  the  battle,  clearly  defines  the  position  of  the 
Fifty-fifth,  designating  it  by  name,  and  in  that  connection 
mentions  another  unnamed  regiment,  beyond  doubt  the  Fifty- 
fourth  Ohio.  He  also  fixes  the  time  of  the  last  rebel  attack 
of  the  evening  as  at  six  o'clock.  To  meet  this  onslaught  he 
personally  attended  to  the  changing  of  the  front  of  Stuart's 
men,  so  that  they  would  face  nearly  to  the  southwest.  While 


114  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

the  two  rebel  brigades,  as  before  described,  filed  into  the 
gorge  of  Dill's  Branch,  a  battery  went  into  position  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Corinth  road.  It  was  Gage's  —  the  same  which 
fired  the  first  shell  at  Stuart's  brigade  in  the  morning;  and 
now,  as  the  day's  tragedy  was  closing,  it  prepared  to  throw 
its  missiles  among  the  same  men.  Finally  these  preparations 
were  completed,  the  advance  was  ordered,  and  the  shades  of 
evening  were  lighted  up  by  the  fires  of  the  new  assault.  To 
repel  this  the  whole  Union  line  opened,  and  here  upon  the 
ground  of  the  last  rally,  the  flame  of  battle  merged  into  the 
gloom  of  the  approaching  night. 

The  Union  artillery  had  been  so  placed  by  Colonel  Web 
ster  as  to  be  of  the  greatest  use  in  repelling  this  attack.  It 
at  once  joined  in  the  tumult,  and  performed  a  more  impor 
tant  part  than  usually  falls  to  the  lot  of  that  arm  of  the 
service.  These  guns,  consisting  of  a  few  of  large  calibre 
fortuitously  there,  and  the  fag  ends  of  batteries  saved  from 
the  wreck  of  the  day,  were  short-handed,  and  volunteers 
were  asked  for  from  the  infantry  nearest.  To  this  call  the 
Fifty-fifth  responded  promptly,  and  the  names  of  the  men  so 
engaged  are  reported.  They  were  Aaron  Lingenfelter  and 
Samuel  J.  Simpson  of  Company  A;  Luther  J.  Keyes,  Rienzi 
L.  Cleveland  and  Roswell  J.  Riley  of  Company  C;  Daniel 
S.  Burke  and  Joseph  H.  Knott  of  Company  D;  Dedrick 
Baiger  and  Henry  Rhodemeyer  of  Company  E;  Ebenezer 
Sanford  and  LeGrand  Dunlap  of  Company  F;  Charles  L. 
West  and  James  W.  Gay  of  Company  G;  John  Berlin,  George 
W.  Bookhalt,  James  W.  Larrabee  and  Francis  A.  Scott  of 
Company  I;  and  James  W.  Kays  of  Company  K.  Perhaps 
others  were  equally  ready  in  the  meritorious  task,  but  their 
names  have  not  been  preserved. 

This  contest  was  extremely  noisy,  but  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  particularly  destructive  to  the  Union  side.  The 
only  losses  known  to  have  occurred  in  the  Fifty-fifth  while  in 
this  position  were  Charles  R.  Fiske  and  John  P.  Gantzert, 
both  corporals  of  Company  I,  who  were  instantly  killed  by 
the  same  unexploded  shell,  fired  doubtless  by  Gage's  battery, 
which  had  followed  Stuart's  footsteps  so  persistently  through 
the  day,  and  which  was  soon  demolished  by  the  heavy  fire 


NIGHT    AFTER    BATTLE.  H5 

turned  upon  it.  During  this  fusilade  General  Grant  person 
ally  gave  directions  to  some  of  the  officers  of  the  Fifty-fifth, 
with  reference  to  the  safety  of  their  men.  It  was  only  a  few 
feet  in  the  rear  that  his  scout,  Carson,  while  conversing  with 
him,  was  instantly  killed  by  a  shell.  Just  before  the  rebels 
finally  withdrew  from  their  desultory  attempt,  two  regiments 
of  Buell's  troops  filed  up  the  road  from  the  river,  took  posi 
tion  upon  the  left,  and  opened  a  vigorous  fire  into  the  woods 
beyond,  and  had  one  man  hit  while  so  engaged. 

No  ground  was  gained  by  the  assailants  during  this  portion 
of  the  engagement,  and  they  must  have  suffered  far  more 
loss  than  they  inflicted  during  its  continuance.  Indeed,  their 
attempt  of  the  evening  was  spasmodic,  and  not  at  all  effec 
tive  as  against  organized  resistance,  and  presently  they  with 
drew  into  the  darkness  to  bivouac  upon  the  ground  in  their 
rear  already  captured.  Night  threw  its  mantle  over  the 
blood-stained  field.  The  living  and  unhurt  sought  rest  as 
best  they  could,  to  await  the  call  for  battle  on  the  morrow. 
The  wounded  lay  scattered  everywhere,  writhing  in  anguish. 
The  dead  were  quietly  at  rest,  suffering  neither  fear  nor  pain. 
Nature,  as  usual,  seemed  urgent  to  wash  out  the  blood-stains 
of  the  fratricidal  strife,  and  shortly  a  heavy  rain-storm  set  in, 
which  lasted  until  near  morning.  It  was  a  mercy  to  the 
wounded  on  all  parts  of  the  battle-field,  and  saved  many 
lives.  To  those  who  remained  in  line  of  battle  trying  to 
gain  some  fitful  rest  after  the  exhaustion  of  the  day,  it  was  a 
source  of  the  greatest  discomfort. 

Since  the  first  alarm  the  good  chaplain  had  been  untiring 
in  his  work  of  mercy.  At  the  outset  his  greatest  difficulty 
had  been  in  collecting  and  organizing  the  musicians  into  an 
ambulance  corps.  The  belligerent  little  drummers  nearly  all 
preferred  to  fight,  and  were  found  along  the  line,  gun  in  hand, 
as  fierce  as  fighting-cocks,  with  no  notion  of  shirking  either 
the  dangers  or  the  responsibilities  of  the  front  rank.  All 
through  the  gloomy  night  the  chaplain  toiled,  searching  for 
and  assisting  the  wounded  of  the  Fifty-fifth.  Such  scant 
refreshments  as  he  could  obtain  were  distributed  to  the 
exhausted  and  hungry  men,  whose  letters  and  journals  are 
teeming  with  gratitude  for  the  blessing  of  his  presence. 


Il6  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

Morning  at  length  dawned,  but  upon  no  cheerful  outlook. 
It  was  gloomy,  damp  and  disagreeable.  Daylight  brought 
into  view  the  terrible  results  of  war,  scattered  everywhere 
around.  The  little  log  house  in  the  rear  was  filled  with  suffer 
ing  wounded,  and  by  it  lay  ghastly  piles  of  human  limbs, 
thrown  carelessly  aside  after  amputation.  Long  rows  of  dead 
rested  stark  and  pulseless  upon  the  wet  ground,  their  pale 
faces  upturned  to  the  pelting  storm.  Altogether  the  environ 
ment  was  as  depressing  as  only  the  chaos  of  an  unsuccessful 
battle-field  could  make  it. 

To  the  eternal  glory  of  the  poor  remnant  of  the  Fifty- 
fifth,  it  responded  bravely  to  the  demands  of  the  new  day. 
Its  young  men,  born  amid  the  quiet  beauty  of  rural  scenes, 
who  had  seen  friends  go  down  in  the  smoke  of  their  first 
battle,  undismayed  sprang  to  their  feet  when  the  word  came, 
ready  to  face  again  the  rebel  host  before  them. 

Here  is  reiterated  the  former  apology,  before  attempting 
to  describe  the  battle  of  Monday  in  its  relation  to  the  Fifty- 
fifth.  The  effect  of  three  wounds  had  placed  the  writer 
beyond  the  privilege  of  personal  observation.  The  official 
reports  are  almost  silent  as  to  Stuart's  brigade,  and,  at  most, 
barely  refer  to  its  existence.  Those  who  were  present,  and 
to  whom  an  appeal  has  been  made  for  information,  seem  to 
have  been  too  busy  doing  their  duty  to  observe  the  exciting 
scene  around  them  with  sufficient  accuracy  to  repeat  details 
after  twenty-five  years.  The  battle  of  the  Fifty-fifth  on  the 
first  day  was  isolated,  and  its  incidents,  when  once  under 
stood,  are  somewhat  aloof  from  the  general  confusion  of  this 
the  most  confused  of  battles.  In  its  experience  of  the  sec 
ond  day  it  was  merged  into  the  great  mass  of  struggling 
men,  and  was  merely  a  small  factor  in  combined  movements. 
One  intelligent  comrade,  who  was  accustomed  to  note  and 
preserve  the  details  of  army  life,  replies  in  this  connection: 
"My  chief  memories  are  of  the  battle-field  horrors  —  mangled 
humanity,  dead  horses,  deep  mud,  horrible  stenches,  and 
insufficient  food."  It  is  easy  enough  to  describe  in  a  general 
way  on  which  flank  the  Fifty-fifth  acted,  and  the  troops  with 
which  it  cooperated,  but  how  to  give  details  and  incidents 
with  sufficient  minuteness'  to  answer  the  reasonable  expec- 


MONDAY'S    BATTLE.  117 

tations  of   those  who  are  interested  in  a  work  like  this,  is 
difficult  and  almost  impossible. 

Shortly  after  sunrise  on  Monday  morning,  and  just  as  the 
survivors  of  Company  I  were  placing  in  a  shallow  grave,  side 
by  side,  poor  Fiske  and  Gantzert,  Major  Sanger  dashed  up 
and  ordered  the  brigade  to  move  to  the  right.  The  Fifty- 
fifth  had  not  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  in  line,  and  the 
Fifty-fourth  not  so  many.  Of  the  Seventy-first,  no  organiza 
tion  was  present.  It  was  hopelessly  blended  into  the  mass 
of  fugitives  in  the  rear,  from  which  their  weak  colonel  had 
neither  the  power  nor  inclination  to  rescue  them.  This  skel 
eton  of  the  brigade,  under  command  of  the  brave  colonel  of 
the  Fifty-fourth,  and  guided  by  Major  Sanger,  proceeded 
west  along  the  Purdy  road,  and  as  the  rugged  valley  of  Till- 
man's  Creek  was  approached,  such  troops  of  Sherman's 
division  as  remained  in  line  were  found.  Then  and  there  for 
the  first  time  the  regiment  formed  in  connection  with  its  own 
division,  and  under  the  eye  of  General  Sherman,  who,  with 
his  wounded  arm  in  a  sling,  was  dashing  about  as  became  his 
restless  genius.  From  the  west  side  of  Tillman's  Creek  the 
march  proceeded  for  about  one  mile  in  a  south-westerly 
direction,  until  near  the  right  of  General  McClernand's 
camps.  Here,  fresh  from  the  seclusion  of  Crump's  Landing, 
General  Lew  Wallace's  division,  which  was  on  the  right  and 
front,  encountered  the  enemy,  and  shot  and  shell  again  began 
to  crash  through  the  trees  over  and  around  the  Fifty-fifth. 
Sherman's  division  was  in  the  rear  of  Wallace's  left  and  of 
McCook's  right,  with  the  evident  purpose  of  operating  in 
support  of  those  fresh  troops.  About  ten  o'clock  in  the 
forenoon  the  battle  opened  in  that  quarter,  carried  on  by  the 
Federals  at  first  largely  with  skirmish  lines  and  artillery,  all 
beautiful  and  elaborate,  but  displaying  none  of  the  sangui 
nary  aspect  of  the  day  before.  Had  the  Union  army  been 
pushed  into  the  fight  and  led  with  anything  like  the  boldness 
which  characterized  the  rebel  attack  of  Sunday,  the  Confed 
erate  army  would  have  crumbled  away  in  an  hour.  Had  the 
Confederate  assaults  of  Sunday  been  attempted  with  any 
thing  like  the  scientific  attenuation  and  care  for  human  life 
used  by  the  Federals  on  Monday,  the  latter  would  have  lost 


Il8  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

no  ground.  The  enemy  gradually  gave  way,  and  the  Union 
line  was  advanced  accordingly.  Stuart's  brigade,  under  com 
mand  of  Colonel  T.  Kilby  Smith,  kept  well  up  in  rear  of  the 
front  line,  and  under  fire,  but  losing  only  here  and  there  a 
man,  by  a  cannon  shot. 

The  right  of  the  assailants  had  now  swept  around  so  as  to 
face  southeast,  toward  Shiloh  church.  About  one  hundred 
yards  from  that  point  was  a  dense  thicket  of  water  oaks,  hard 
to  penetrate  and  tenaciously  held  by  the  foe.  About  two 
o'clock  the  Fifty-fifth  came  in  sight  of  the  locality,  and  wit 
nessed  the  preparation  of  McCook  for  attack.  The  Thirty- 
fourth  Illinois,  the  only  regiment  from  its  state  in  Buell's 
army,  was  close  at  hand.  The  brigade,  commanded  by  the 
gallant  Colonel  Kirk  of  Sterling,  Illinois,  and  now  in  its  first 
battle,  was  somewhat  warmly  engaged.  The  Thirty-second 
Indiana,  under  Colonel  Willich,  was  brought  up  to  lead  the 
advance,  and  as  it  came  under  fire  began  to  show  signs  of 
wavering.  It  was  deliberately  halted  by  its  commander,  who, 
in  sight  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  proceeded  for  a  time  to  drill  his 
regiment  in  the  manual  of  arms.  When  a  sufficient  degree 
of  steadiness  had  been  attained  to  suit  the  views  of  the 
colonel,  it  was  ordered  through  the  pond  and  into  the  thicket, 
and  a  fierce  conflict  of  musketry  at  once  followed.  This 
lasted  for  about  twenty  minutes,  when  Willich's  regiment 
came  rushing  to  the  rear,  unable  to  face  the  fire  any  longer. 
Just  then  the  brigade  of  the  Kentuckian,  Rosseau,  was 
brought  up,  and  Sherman  formed  Stuart's  brigade  on  the 
right,  and  on  the  then  front  line.  When  these  preparations 
were  completed,  the  whole  line  swept  forward,  the  Fifty-fifth 
and  Fifty-fourth  abreast  of  all  others  of  the  attacking  force, 
and  finally  the  whole  rebel  line  gave  way.  It  was  followed 
with  a  rush.  The  disloyal  host  was  fairly  on  the  run,  or  as 
Colonel  Malmborg  would  say,  "faced  mit  their  backs." 
Stuart's  brigade  was  close  after  them,  yelling  like  wild  men, 
and  had  abundant  opportunity  and  disposition  to  requite  the 
rebel  sociability  of  the  day  before.  As  the  Confederates 
scampered  through  the  open  timber  and  fields  the  good  Dres 
den  rifles  of  the  exasperated  and  elated  Illinoisans  sent  many 
of  them  beyond  the  reach  of  the  beneficent  legislation  of 


BRAGG'S    LAMENTATION.  1 19 

modern  times.  This  was  the  last  stand  by  the  enemy,  and 
their  flight  was  followed  until  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
Stuart's  brigade,  each  man  exhausted  fry  the  bloody  chase, 
stood  round  about  Shiloh  church,  and  upon  the  ground  cap 
tured  from  Sherman  early  Sunday  morning. 

The  battle  of  Shiloh  was  won,  and  no  single  organization 
had  contributed  more  to  that  end  than  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois 
Infantry.  But  one  other  regiment  had  spilled  more  blood 
upo*n  that  battle-field.  The  fragments  of  the  once  proud 
rebel  army  were  stumbling  toward  Corinth,  a  mass  of  disor 
ganized  and  discouraged  fugitives.  Northern  patriotism  and 
courage  had  driven  them  finally  from  a  field  almost  given 
them  by  official  misadventure.  The  ripe  fruits  of  victory 
were  within  easy  reach,  but  no  hand  was  put  forth  to  pluck 
them.  General  Grant,  in  his  "Memoirs,"  has  given  such 
poor  reasons  as  then  existed  for  not  following.  General 
Buell,  practically  independent  and  with  ten  thousand  troops 
at  his  back  who  had  not  fired  a  shot,  was  no  more  aggressive. 
It  was  the  close  of  the  only  battle  in  which  he  personally 
took  part  during  the  rebellion. 

The  rebel  General  Bragg,  in  addition  to  his  duties  as  chief- 
of-staff,  had  commanded  a  corps  through  the  entire  battle. 
He  was  everywhere  during  the  two  days'  contest,  sharing  in 
an  unusual  degree  for  a  subordinate,  its  responsibilities  and 
dangers.  As  the  Confederate  army  fled,  pursuit  was  expected 
as  a  matter  of  course,  and  he  remained  in  its  rear  to  cover 
the  retreat  as  far  as  possible.  From  a  position  not  more 
than  three  miles  in  front  of  Shiloh  church,  and  at  half-past 
seven  o'clock,  Tuesday  morning,  he  sent  the  following 
lamentation  to  General  Beauregard: 

Our  condition  is  horrible.  Troops  utterly  disorganized  and  demoral 
ized.  Road  almost  impassible.  No  provisions  and  no  forage, 
consequently  everything  feeble.  *  *  *  *  It  is  most  lamentable  to  see 
the  state  of  affairs,  but  I  am  powerless  and  almost  exhausted.  Our 
artillery  is  being  left  all  along  the  road  by  its  officers.  Indeed,  I  find  but 
few  officers  with  their  men.  *  *  *  * 

General  Bragg  received  a  note  from  General  Breckenridge 
at  two  in  the  afternoon  of  that  day,  and  forwarded  it  to  his 
superior  with  the  following  indorsement: 


120  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

Respectfully  referred  to  General  Beauregard.  If  we  are  pursued  by 
a  vigorous  force  we  will  lose  all  in  the  rear.  The  whole  road  presents 
the  scene  of  a  rout,  and  no  mortal  power  could  restrain  it. 

The  above  quotations,  and  from  such  a  source,  illustrate 
better  than  could  a  whole  volume  of  argument  the  fearful 
straits  of  the  defeated  Confederates,  and  is  equally  conclusive 
of  the  possibilities  within  easy  reach  of  the  Federals.  Could 
General  Grant  have  been  vouchsafed  the  inspiration  which 
afterward  seemed  to  guide  him,  the  atonement  would  have 
been  ample,  and  Shiloh  would  have  left  no  regrets.  So 
ended  the  great  holocaust  around  the  little  Shiloh  chapel. 
George  W.  Cable  has  said  the  South  never  smiled  again  after 
it.  Thousands  in  the  North  West  still  mourn  because  of  it." 

It  is  impossible  to  give  with  exactness  the  casualties  in 
the  Fifty-fifth  on  the  second  day,  but  the  loss  bore  no 
proportion  to  that  of  Sunday,  although  equal  to  that  of 
many  of  Buell's  and  Lew  Wallace's  regiments.  It  probably 
did  not  exceed  twenty,  and  was  mostly  from  artillery.  The 
splendid  young  orderly-sergeant  of  Company  I  was  killed 
by  a  cannon  shot,  the  first  one  struck  on  that  day.  Fred. 
Ebersold  and  James  W.  Larrabee  of  the  same  company,  were 
wounded,  and  George  A.  Raup  of  Company  C  was  killed. 

So  great  a  battle,  and  the  first  in  the  experience  of  nearly 
all  who  took  part,  was  naturally  rich  in  thrilling  personal 
incidents.  They  are  characteristic  of  such  a  battle,  and  of 
such  a  regiment,  and  a  few  are  given  to  illustrate  the  one 
and  to  do  justice  to  the  other.  It  is  sufficiently  apparent 
that  only  such  as  are  remembered  or  have  been  kindly 
furnished  by  others  are  available,  a  statement  which  should 
excuse  any  seeming  egotism  or  discrimination. 

Of  the  officers  losing  their  lives,  Captain  Squire  A.  Wright 
was  the  highest  in  rank.  He  came  from  Michigan,  a  stranger, 
and  was  made  second-lieutenant  of  Company  C  by  Colonel 
Stuart,  with  whom  he  was  a  great  favorite.  He  had  been 
promoted  to  captain  of  Company  F,  and  commanded  it  in 
the  battle.  He  was  one  of  the  first  struck  in  the  main  line, 
but  refused  to  go  to  the  rear,  and  finally  received  another 
and  a  mortal  wound.  He  died  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  on  May 
1 2th.  In  his  short  career  with  the  regiment  he  manifested 


PERSONAL    INCIDENTS.  121 

high  capacity.  The  manner  of  his  death  sufficiently  estab 
lishes  his  claim  to  sublime  bravery. 

Lieutenant  James  Weldon  had  been  transferred  from 
Company  I,  and  given  his  rank  in  Company  H,  with  which 
he  received  his  death  wound.  He  was  a  young  man  of 
superb  appearance  and  unblemished  character,  and  had  all 
the  attributes  of  a  fine  volunteer  soldier.  His  burial  was 
the  occasion  of  a  fitting  tribute  on  the  part  of  his  friends  and 
neighbors,  and  Judge  Harris  of  Morris,  Illinois,  delivered  an 
eloquent  eulogy,  which  this  young  soldier  had  fairly  earned 
by  his  blameless  life  and  heroic  death. 

Theodore  W.  Hodges,  the  gallant  young  second-lieutenant 
of  Company  C,  also  lost  his  life.  The  incidents  of  his  death 
are  so  graphically  stated  by  his  good  friend  and  comrade, 
Robert  Oliver, -that  they  are  given  in  his  language,  which  is 
as  follows: 

Hodges  came  to  me  and  knelt  down  on  one  knee  with  the  point  of  his 
sword  on  the  ground,  and  said,  "Oliver,  as  soon  as  you  get  your  gun 
loaded  take  Ainsbury  to  the  rear  ;  he  is  " —  then  he  was  hit  by  a  canister 
shot  in  the  head.  He  hung  to  the  hilt  of  his  sword  until  his  hand  came 
to  the  ground,  bending  the  sword  double,  and  when  he  let  go  it  bounded 
six  feet  into  the  air.  I  was  therefore  left  to  accomplish  the  unfinished 
command  of  a  good  officer.  That  was  the  last  command  he  ever  gave. 

First-Lieutenant  Shaw,  who  that  day  commanded  Com 
pany  C,  also  speaks  in  the  highest  terms  of  the  gallantry 
of  Lieutenant  Hodges.  He  lay  on  the  field  in  an  uncon 
scious  condition,  and  finally  died  on  Thursday  following. 
The  only  word  that  was  Jieard  to  escape  his  lips  was  when, 
once  or  twice,  he  muttered  "father." 

Jesse  A.  Carpenter  and  Eli  L.  Cook  of  Company  I,  and 
James  W.  Gillespie  of  Company  G,  were  all  detailed  in  the 
regimental  quartermaster's  department.  After  the  baggage 
was  loaded  and  the  trains  started  for  the  landing,  all  joined 
their  companies  just  as  the  battle  commenced.  Their  con 
duct  was  really  an  evasion  of  the  duty  for  which  they  were 
selected,  and  their  return  to  the  line  of  battle  was  entirely 
voluntary.  All  three  lost  their  lives  before  the  day  ended. 

Upon  the  first  alarm  Quartermaster  Janes  and  his  assist 
ants,  Fisher  and  Capron,  with  the  detailed  men  under  them, 


122  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

proceeded  with  great  diligence  to  load  the  stores  and  bag 
gage  of  the  regiment  upon  the  numerous  wagons  at  hand. 
The  train,  after  being  made  up,  followed  the  brigade  toward 
the  crossing  of  Locust  Creek,  but  fortunately,  just  before 
battle  was  joined  in  that  quarter,  countermarched  and  reached 
the  landing  in  safety,  though  at  some  peril.  A  few  minutes' 
delay  would  have  involved  them  between  the  lines  in  a  very 
severe  conflict  near  the  camp  of  the  Seventy-first  Ohio.  It 
is  to  the  wise  forethought  and  industry  of  the  above  named 
that  the  officers  of  the  Fifty-fifth  are  mainly  indebted  for  the 
safety  of  their  baggage. 

C.  C.  Davis  of  Company  G,  who  was  acting  as  postmaster, 
thus  describes  his  somewhat  peculiar  adventures: 

I  had  franked  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  letters,  and  asked  the 
officer  of  the  day  whether  I  should  destroy  my  mail  if  there  was  any 
danger  of  my  being  captured.  He  declined  to  give  any  advice,  and 
taking  matches  to  burn  the  letters  if  necessary,  I  started  for  the  landing 
and  succeeded  in  reaching  it  in  safety.  I  then  assisted  a  wounded  man 
on  board,  and  started  to  go  to  my  regiment.  I  met  several  demoralized 
soldiers  running  away,  one  of  whom  said  to  me, "  No  use,  the  day  is  lost!" 
He  seated  himself  on  a  log  and  offered  me  a  gun,  which  I  accepted,  with 
his  cartridge  box  which  he  buckled  around  me,  saying  that  he  "  had 
fired  ten  rounds  and  had  thirty  left."  Looking  at  his  cap  I  found  he  was 
a  sergeant  of  Company  G,  Sixteenth  Wisconsin.  Walking  rapidly  I 
arrived  at  the  peach  orchard,  where  none  of  our  regiment  were  to  be 
found;  waiting  a  few  moments  I  saw  a  rebel  regiment  march  on  to  our 
camp-ground  from  the  woods,  who,  when  they  found  it  deserted,  gave 
three  lusty  cheers,  the  color-sergeant  raising  his  rebel  flag  high  in  air  at 
each  one.  I  aimed  at  him  and  fired,  when  immediately  numerous  rebels 
who  were  scattered  among  the  scrub  oaks  near  commenced  firing  at  me. 
I  retreated  to  get  out  of  their  range,  until  I  came  upon  what  proved  to  be 
the  Ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  where  I  remained  firing  until  wounded  by  a 
sharp-shooter  off  to  my  left.  I  was  shot  a  trifle  below  the  knee  by  a 
musket  ball  which  passed  through, — was  carried  off  by  two  of  the  Ninth 
Illinois  musicians  and  placed  in  the  camp  of  the  Fifth  Ohio  Cavalry, 
where  I  remained  till  near  sunset,  when  I  was  placed  in  a  wagon  and 
carried  to  the  landing. 

The  above  affords  a  glimpse  of  the  Fifty-fifth  camp 
ground  after  that  regiment  left  it,  and  furnishes  also  an 
instance  of  personal  heroism.  The  matters  described  indub 
itably  prove  not  only  the  truthfulness,  but  the  accuracy  of 
Davis.  The  wound  left  him  a  hopeless  cripple  for  life. 


SERGEANT  BAGLEY'S  DEATH.          123 

The  following  has  before  been  printed,  and  is  here  quoted 
for  the  purpose  of  paying  a  tribute  to  a  gallant  soldier  who 
lost  his  life  in  helping  another: 

All  at  once  in  front  of  me,  by  a  big  elm  tree,  stood  Parker  B.  Bagley, 
orderly-sergeant  of  Company  B,  of  our  regiment.  He  exclaimed, 
"Crooker,  are  you  hurt,  too?"  and  I  fell  down  by  the  tree,  and  faintly 
asked  for  water.  He  had  a  full  canteen,  and  placed  it  to  my  lips.  It 
seemed  as  though  new  life  was  given.  He  then  told  me  he  had  been  to 
the  rear  to  help  his  nephew,  and  was  on  his  way  back  to  the  regiment.  I 
told  him  it  was  gone,  and  to  go  further  that  way  meant  capture.  Mean 
while  the  bullets  from  distant  firing  were  singing  through  the  air  high 
overhead,  and  the  steady  crackling  of  musketry,  deepened  by  the  boom 
of  innumerable  cannon,  made  the  diapason  of  battle  complete.  Presently 
a  bullet  hit  the  tree  just  overhead,  indicating  the  necessity  of  moving. 
Getting  upon  hands  and  knees,  I  tried  to  stand  up,  but  could  not.  With 
wounds  stiffened  and  limbs  swollen,  I  subsided  with  a  groan  at  the  foot 
of  the  tree.  Bagley  came  to  my  side  and  put  his  arms  around  me,  and  I 
clambered  up  at  his  right  side,  clinging  to  his  strong  manly  form  for  sup 
port.  Thus  slowly  and  painfully  we  dragged  our  way  for  a  few  rods. 
He  reached  his  left  hand  in  front  of  his  body  to  take  me  by  the  arm,  and 
the  movement  pulled  up  his  blouse  sleeve  and  disclosed  a  bandage  around 
that  arm.  I  exclaimed,  " Good  God !  Bagley,  are  you  hit?  Then  leave 
me."  His  reply  is  remembered  well;  they  were  the  last  words  of  a  hero; 
they  were  uttered  with  the  last  breath  of  a  man  who  lost  his  life  helping 
me  save  mine;  they  are  burned  into  my  memory  by  the  one  great  tragedy 
of  a  life-time.  These  words  were  :  "That  does  not  amount  to  anything; 
lean  on  me  just  as  heavily  as  you  have  a  mind  to;  I  feel  just  as  well  as  I 
ever  did."  Instantly  rang  out  clear  and  distinct  from  the  edge  of  the 
ravine,  a  rifle  shot.  A  burning  sensation  passed  along  my  back,  and  we 
fell  together  —  two  quivering,  bleeding  human  beings.  The  bullet  of  the 
assassin  fired  at  me,  a  wounded  man,  hit  me  crosswise  under  the  shoulder, 
and  passed  on,  killing  poor  Bagley.  He  fell,  and,  lying  beneath  him,  I 
could  feel  his  hot  blood  run  down  my  side,  and  hearing  his  dying  groan 
knew  that  the  life  of  a  hero  was  ended.  A  brave,  stalwart  human  being 
as  was  ever  made  in  the  image  of  his  Maker,  lay  dead  beside  me. 

That  excellent  soldier,  Robert  Oliver,  is  again  quoted. 
After  describing  the  death  of  Lieutenant  Hodges,  as  before 
given,  he  continues  as  follows: 

Ainsbury  was  badly  wounded  through  the  thigh.  I  had  got  him  some 
ways  when  Sergeant  O.  H.  Partch  caught  up  to  me,  with  a  terrible  wound 
in  the  right  arm.  He  said,  "  Oliver,  I  will  take  Ainsbury;  I  have  one  sound 
arm,  but  I  can't  shoot,  and  you  can."  As  I  was  going  back,  and  reached 
the  spur  of  the  ridge  in  the  rear  of  our  position,  I  met  one  of  either  Com 
pany  C  or  Company  I,  but  cannot  remember  who.  He  was  badly  wounded ; 


124  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

and  I  took  him  a  short  distance,  and  left  him  with  some  one.  I  wanted  to 
get  back  to  the  front,  but  when  I  got  to  the  ridge  in  rear  of  where  we 
fought,  I  could  see  nothing  but  rebels  over  there.  My  first  impression 
was  that  the  Fifty-fifth  had  all  been  taken  prisoners.  I  then  started  to 
run,  when  some  one  called  out,  "  For  God's  sake !  Robert,  don't  leave 
me."  I  looked  back  and  saw  James  D.  Goodwin  of  my  company.  He 
had  every  thing  off  but  his  pants  and  shirt,  and  was  as  red  as  if  he  had 
been  dipped  in  a  barrel  of  blood.  I  said,  "Never!  put  your  arm  around 
my  neck,  and  I  will  do  the  best  I  can  for  you."  The  rebels  were  very 
close  all  around  us,  but  I  felt  strong  enough  to  pull  up  all  the  young  sap 
lings  that  grew  on  the  battle-field.  While  I  was  taking  him  back  he  was 
hit  either  once  or  twice.  When  I  got  him  to  the  river,  a  short  distance 
from  where  the  gunboats  were  firing,  I  found  a  surgeon,  and  upon  cutting 
the  shirt  off  Goodwin,  to  my  horror  there  were  seven  bullet-holes  in  that 
boy,  not  yet  seventeen  years  old.  I  never  could  tell  this  experience  un 
less  there  would  something  come  up  in  my  throat  to  cut  off  my  speech 
for  a  time.  From  the  minute  I  took  hold  of  him  until  I  got  to  the  river, 
he  never  murmured  nor  broke  down.  Whenever  he  was  hit  he  gave  a 
sudden  start,  and  then  braced  up  again;  I  never  saw  such  nerve.  He 
died  on  May  8th,  the  noblest  boy  I  ever  saw. 

Sergeant  C.  P.  Lacey  of  Company  B,  whose  careful  work 
has  been  of  the  greatest  assistance  to  all  the  authors,  and 
who  helped  bury  the  dead  after  Shiloh,  is  quoted  in  the  fol 
lowing  incident  : 

Down  in  the  ravine  sat  our  Company  B  bugler,  George  G.  Farwell, 
leaning  against  a  tree  and  holding  in  his  extended  hand  an  open  letter, 
which  he  was  apparently  reading.  His  form  was  rigid  in  death,  and  his 
last  moment  came  while  reading  the  last  letter  received  from  his  wife. 
He  had  been  mortally  wounded,  and  had  sought  that  position  before 
dying.  His  bugle  had  been  cut  from  his  person,  leaving  the  cord  around 
his  neck. 

It  will  require  no  great  effort  of  memory  for  all  to  recall 
Joe  Edwards,  the  pugnacious  little  drummer  of  Company  I. 
Like  most  of  the  musicians,  he  had  fled  from  the  command 
of  "Waukegan"  to  the  ranks,  bound  to  take  an  active  part  in 
the  conflict.  From  that  dire  intent  he  was  compelled  to 
desist  by  the  chaplain,  who  took  charge  of  the  musicians 
and  organized  them  into  a  hospital  corps.  In  that  band 
"little  Joe"  worked  like  a  hero  all  day,  and  among  other 
adventures  had  the  good  fortune  to  assist  his  uncle,  Colonel 
Hicks  of  the  Fortieth  Illinois,  who  was  grievously  wounded. 


THE    SKIRMISHERS.  125 

Darkness  came  and  found  the  boy  doing  his  best  at  the  hos 
pital  near  the  landing.  Exhausted  by  the  excitement  and 
severe  labor  of  the  day,  he  finally  lay  down  upon  the  ground 
outside  the  little  log  building,  and  went  to  sleep.  As  wounded 
soldiers  died  one  by  one,  during  the  night,  they  were  taken 
out  and  laid  upon  the  ground  in  rows,  to  make  more  room 
for  the  living.  Some  hospital  attendants,  bearing  their 
bloody  burden,  saw  Joe  asleep,  and  supposing  him  dead,  lay 
the  corpse  down  beside  him.  This  was  followed  by  others, 
and  when  morning  dawned  and  the  tired  drummer  awakened, 
he  found  himself  at  the  head  of  a  ghastly  array,  of  which  he 
alone  was  living,  and  from  which  he  quickly  fled. 

During  the  conflict  on  Sunday  a  musket  ball  ploughed 
through  the  scalp  of  James  Garner  of  Company  C,  which 
stunned  and  prostrated  him.  About  half  an  hour  afterward 
he  recovered  sufficiently  to  rise  to  his  feet,  but  consciousness 
of  the  situation  dawned  slowly.  Just  as  the  regiment  com 
menced  to  retreat,  one  of  his  comrades  called  out  to  him, 
"Come,  Jim,  we  are  going  back;"  to  which  Jim  replied,  "Ain't 
I  killed?"  His  commanding  officer,  Lieutenant  Shaw,  adds 
that  Garner,  "on  being  assured  that  he  was  not  killed,  joined 
in  the  retreat,  and  ever  after,  as  before,  proved  himself  a  live 
soldier  in  every  respect." 

Every  effort  has  been  made  to  trace  the  course  of  the 
skirmishers  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  who  operated  for  some  time  in 
front  of  the  line,  and  before  the  main  part  of  the  regiment 
became  engaged.  Very  little  that  is  authentic  can  be  gath 
ered  at  this  late  day.  Companies  A  and  B  were  early 
deployed  under  the  command  respectively  of  Captains 
Augustine  and  Thurston  —  two  very  excellent  companies, 
under  good  though  inexperienced  officers.  They  suffered 
severe  loss  while  so  engaged,  the  extent  of  which  cannot  be 
stated  with  certainty.  It  was  here  that  the  excellent  soldier, 
and  afterwards  valuable  officer,  J.  B.  Ridenour  of  Company 
A,  was  severely  wounded.  The  skirmishers  of  the  Fifty- 
fourth  Ohio  were  on  the  left  of  those  of  the  Fifty-fifth, 
reaching  entirely  to  the  river  bottom;  but  Captain  Yeomans, 
who  commanded  them,  says  that  acting  under  express  orders 
they  did  not  fire  a  shot.  To  the  right  Company  K  of  the 


126  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

Seventy-first  Ohio  was  engaged,  and  in  and  around  the  log 
buildings  at  the  left  of  the  Fifty-fifth  camp  did  splendid 
fighting.  It  is  certain  that  the  main  skirmish  line  never  went 
beyond  the  banks  of  Locust  Creek,  though  individuals  were 
sent  much  farther  in  advance.  This. occurred  while  the  enemy 
were  engaged  with  Prentiss,  and  before  Chalmers  and  Jackson 
were  detached  to  meet  the  imaginary  flank  movement  of 
Stuart,  and  at  a  time  when  there  were  no  Confederates 
directly  toward  the  south.  Why  there  were  no  skirmishers 
directed  southwest,  toward  the  firing  and  in  the  only  direc 
tion  from  which  an  attack  could  come,  is  as  much  a  mystery 
as  the  other  numerous  eccentricities  of  that  day.  William 
H.  Lowe  of  Company  A  was  one  of  the  videttes  referred  to, 
and  has  told  his  experience  with  such  evident  truthfulness 
and  point,  that  his  words  are  followed  as  the  best  relation 
attainable  of  a  phase  of  the  conflict  occurring  out  of  sight  of 
the  regiment: 

After  the  regiment  had  taken  its  first  position  Company  A  was  thrown 
forward  to  the  creek,  which  was  the  outpost  for  the  pickets.  Then  a  part 
of  the  company  was  moved  forward  on  the  Hamburgh  road,  leaving  a 
man  about  every  thirty  rods  as  a  connecting  link  with  those  in  the  rear. 
I  was  selected  by  Lieutenant  Schleich  for  the  outpost.  I  think  I  was  a 
considerable  distance  from  the  reserve,  was  to  fire  on  the  approach  of 
the  enemy,  and  was  stationed  within  fifty  yards  of  a  house.  I  desired  to 
go  forward  to  it  but  Lieutenant  S.  said  not,  as  all  I  had  to  do  was  to  give 
the  alarm.  I  felt  at  the  time  that  this  was  a  grave  mistake,  for  if  I  was 
in  the  house  with  orders  to  hold  it,  I  would  do  so  against  the  combined 
rebel  army.  By  this  time  the  battle  was  terrific  on  the  right  and  rear. 
I  could  tell  plainly  that  our  men  were  drawing  them  on.  I  thought  at 
first  that  the  rebels  were  being  drawn  into  a  trap,  and  that  the  troops  on 
the  right  would  take  them  all  prisoners  and  we  would  be  left  out  of  the 
fight  again,  as  we  were  at  Fort  Donelson.  I  wondered  why  our  officers 
could  not  see  it,  and  thought  they  wanted  us  for  fatigue  duty.  We 
enlisted  to  fight;  why  not  let  us  at  them.  My  meditations  were  broken 
by  a  man  emerging  from  the  brush  on  the  right  of  the  road  and  going 
into  the  house.  His  hat  was  down  over  his  eyes  and  he  did  not  see  rne, 
but  I  was  pointed  out  to  him  by  a  woman  at  the  door.  He  came  over  to 
where  I  was.  The  tears  were  coursing  down  his  cheeks.  He  had  been 
over  in  the  rear  of  the  Confederate  army  and  said  they  were  killing  men 
by  thousands.  He  had  been  over  to  get  their  general  to  move  his  family 
back  out  of  the  reach  of  the  battle.  I  told  him  that  he  and  his  wife  had 
better  carry  their  children  back  to  the  rear  of  our  regiment;  they  would 
be  perfectly  safe  there.  He  thanked  me  and  said  he  had  no  preference 


BATTLE    INCIDENTS.  127 

for  either  side,  and  did  not  know  what  the  war  was  about.  He  wanted 
me  to  go  to  his  house  and  get  any  thing  I  desired.  He  insisted  on  bring 
ing  me  a  chunk  of  pone  and  some  milk,  which  I  declined.  I  questioned 
him  closely  as  to  how  many  troops  Johnston  had,  but  could  get  nothing 
out  of  him  except  that  there  were  a  "powerful  sight."  The  battle  had 
worked  far  to  the  rear,  and  I  began  to  feel  by  this  time  that  if  our  army 
could  draw  them  into  a  trap  and  take  them  prisoners  without  me,  I  would 
not  care  much.  I  had  just  begun  to  reconcile  myself  to  this  thought, 
when  I  was  signaled  by  the  man  in  my  rear  to  rally  on  the  reserve;  when 
about  half  way  back  I  saw  a  company  of  cavalry  on  the  west  side  of  the 
field  to  our  right.  I  reached  the  reserve  in  safety.  We  lay  down  behind 
a  knoll  on  the  north  side  of  the  creek.  We  had  not  long  to  wait.  The 
cavalry  soon  appeared,  riding  by  fours.  They  came  down  and  formed  in 
line  within  a  short  distance  of  us.  At  last  our  bugler  could  stand  it  no 
longer  and  fired  one  shot  from  a  revolving  rifle,  when  they  broke  back  and 
soon  were  out  of  sight.  Very  soon  we  saw  infantry  approaching  in  line 
of  battle.  When  they  were  close  to  the  creek  they  halted,  and  a  second 
line  also  appeared  in  their  rear.  Captain  Augustine  gave  orders  to  fire 
by  platoon,  which  we  did,  and  the  battle  commenced. 

This  curiously  confirms  other  information  to  the  effect 
that  the  first  shot  ever  fired  in  battle  by  the  Fifty-fifth  was 
from  the  celebrated  "Methodist-five-shooter"  in  Company 
A,  in  the  hands  of  Vaughan,  their  bugler.  William  Reiman, 
Company  B,  killed  on  the  skirmish  line,  was  beyond  doubt 
the  first  man  of  the  Fifty-fifth  who  lost  his  life  in  battle. 

Certain  incidents  then  occurring  come  bubbling  up  through 
memory  after  a  lapse  of  a  quarter  of  a  century.  The  writer 
had  known  Lieutenant  Shaw  in  civil  life,  and  regarded  him 
as  an  excellent  citizen,  but  one  not  at  all  demonstrative. 
There  was  no  reason  to  doubt  his  bravery,  but  he  had  none 
of  the  high-stepping  qualities  then  regarded  as  evidences  of 
soldierly  gifts.  He  commanded  in  this  battle  the  color- 
company  and  his  duties  frequently  brought  him  in  view. 
The  transformation  was  wonderful.  He  was  raging  like  a 
lion,  swinging  his  sabre  and  leading  men  by  the  collar,  on 
occasion,  up  to  the  line.  Under  his  quiet  exterior  there  were 
hidden  qualities  of  the  most  inspiring  character,  as  was  often 
afterward  tested. 

The  adjutant  was  equipped  in  a  dingy,  ill-fitting  uniform, 
and  had  buckled  tight  around  him  the  full  equipments  of  a 
slain  soldier.  Upon  his  bushy,  curly  head  was  one  of  those 
absurd  little  zouave  caps,  and  in  his  hand  a  rifle.  During  the 


128  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

various  formations  he  performed  his  official  functions  on 
foot,  and  when  done  subsided  into  a  rather  common-looking 
private  soldier,  loading  and  firing  with  great  deliberation. 
He  was  heard  vainly  beseeching  the  colonel  for  the  privilege 
of  shooting  at  the  rebel  color-bearer  before  the  firing  was 
allowed  to  commence,  and  offered  to  stake  his  reputation 
that  he  could  hit  him  the  first  time.  The  emergency  of 
battle  had  brought  certain  murderous  qualities  to  the  surface 
that  he  did  not  ordinarily  seem  to  possess. 

Captain  Tim  Slattery  is  remembered  as  perfectly  cool, 
collected  and  clear-headed.  At  one  time,  exasperated  by  the 
conduct  of  a  member  of  Company  G,  who  persisted  in  firing 
from  the  rear  of  the  line,  he  rushed  down  hill,  caught  him  by 
the  collar  and  thrashed  the  life  half  out  of  him  with  the  flat 
of  his  sword. 

The  dead  of  the  Fifty-fifth  were  buried  on  Tuesday  and 
Wednesday  by  details,  mostly  voluntary,  who  went  from  the 
bivouacs  near  Shiloh  church  for  that  purpose.  The  tents  in 
the  little  peach  orchard  were  found  occupied  by  the  Fifty- 
third  Illinois,  who  had  come  from  Savannah  on  Monday 
night.  They  had  by  the  aid  of  lanterns  gathered  up  most  of 
the  wounded  of  Stuart's  brigade,  on  the  night  of  arrival,  and 
had  done  all  possible  for  the  sufferers.  The  headquarters 
and  the  log  buildings  at  the  left  of  the  camp  were  crowded 
with  Federal  and  Confederate  wounded,  and  were  for  a  long 
time  used  as  hospitals.  Most  of  the  dead  were  found  upon 
the  south  edge  of,  or  in  the  ravine  so  often  spoken  of,  and 
which  without  doubt  marks  the  scene  of  as  severe  a  conflict 
as  ever  took  place  on  this  continent.  The  mode  of  burial 
was  by  digging  trenches  wide  enough  to  lay  a  man  in  cross 
wise,  which  was  done  a  few  feet  south  of  the  line  of  battle, 
and  in  these  the  dead  were  carefully  placed,  side  by  side,  in 
company  groups,  and  uncoffined  and  unshrouded  these  young 
heroes  were  covered.  Here  and  there  some  poor  wounded 
sufferer  had  wandered  until  life  gave  out.  Such  were  buried 
in  isolated  graves  where  they  were  found.  Frail  headboards 
of  the  best  material  at  hand  were  erected,  and  upon  these 
and  upon  trees  the  names  were  marked,  most  of  which  sub 
sequently  disappeared  under  the  mutations  of  time. 


SHILOH    VISITED. 

It  is  fair  to  presume  that  many  will  be  interested  in  the 
present  appearance  of  the  battle-field  of  Shiloh.  Actuated 
by  a  passion  common  to  all  soldiers  to  visit  scenes  of  former 
conflict,  and  influenced  by  a  consuming  desire  to  rescue  the 
deeds  of  the  Fifty-fifth  from  the  obscurity  surrounding  the 
left  flank  in  that  battle,  the  writer  has  twice  visited  the 
locality.  The  first  occasion  was  with  an  excursion,  and  the 
course  of  the  Tennessee  was  followed,  using  two  steamboats 
as  means  of  transportation.  The  sixth  and  seventh  of  April, 
1884.  were  spent  upon  the  ground.  Of  the  Fifty-fifth,  John 
G.  Brown  and  Dorsey  C.  Andress  were  also  present.  Five 
of  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  were  with  the  excursion,  of  whom 
T.  J.  Lindsay  of  Washington  Court  House,  Ohio,  a  very 
intelligent  gentleman,  is  best  remembered.  The  entire  expe 
dition  embraced  about  two  hundred  people,  nearly  all  of 
whom  had  been  engaged  in  the  battle,  and  many  of  them 
had  been  wounded  in  it.  Sunday  morning,  the  twenty- 
second  anniversary,  dawned  as  bright  and  sunny  as  had 
the  day  this  expedition  was  intended  to  commemorate. 
The  two  fine  steamers,  each  having  upon  it  a  band  play 
ing  the  Star  Spangled  Banner,  and  each  thronged  with 
expectant  passengers,  rounded  the  bend  of  the  river  below 
Pittsburgh  Landing,  and  came  suddenly  in  sight  of  the  fine 
national  cemetery  fronting  the  river  at  that  point.  Immedi 
ately  upon  landing  ranks  were  formed,  and  the  deeply  im 
pressed  procession  marched  up  the  road  to  the  cemetery. 
The  people  and  the  Sunday  school  scholars  of  the  neighbor 
hood,  under  good  father  Cotton,  an  evangelist,  were  assembled 
in  considerable  numbers  to  welcome  the  veterans.  Short  and 
very  affecting  ceremonies  were  then  held  in  the  cemetery, 
when  the  impatient  throng  dispersed  to  seek  out  the  portion 
of  the  battle-field  most  interesting.  The  two  succeeding 
days  were  spent  in  explorations,  and  the  excursion  returned 
down  the  river. 

The  second  visit  was  made  alone,  in  December,  1885, 
when  ten  days  were  spent  upon  the  ground,  and  was  more 
satisfactory,  inasmuch  as  sufficient  uninterrupted  time  was 
taken  to  examine  the  records  of  the  cemetery  and  explore 
minutely  the  battle-field.  All  distances  mentioned  in  this 
9 


130  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

work  in  relation  to  the  conflict  were  carefully  measured,  and 
much  useful  information  obtained. 

The  cemetery  at  Pittsburgh  Landing  occupies  the  hill 
sloping  toward  the  river,  at  the  right  of  the  road  running 
from  the  water's  edge.  It  embraces  the  ground  formerly 
cnltivated,  upon  which  was  the  log  house  used  as  a  hospital 
at  the  time  of  the  battle.  A  neat  brick  residence  furnished 
by  the  government  is  located  near  the  southwest  corner,  and 
all  is  in  charge  of  L.  S.  Doolittle,  a  wounded  soldier  of  the 
Ninety-third  Illinois.  The  arrangement  and  ornamentation 
of  the  grounds  are  beautiful  and  appropriate,  and  are  kept  in 
the  best  of  order  by  the  gentlemanly  superintendent  above 
named.  Upon  this  hallowed  spot  three  thousand  five  hun 
dred  and  ninety  soldiers  are  buried,  the  graves  of  about  two- 
thirds  of  them  being  marked  "Unknown."  They  lie  there 
sleeping,  dead;  no,  not  dead  — 

•'  There  is  no  Death  !  what  seems  so  is  transition; 

This  life  of  mortal  breath 
Is  but  a  suburb  of  the  life  elysian, 
Whose  portal  we  call  Death. 

Of  the  noble  array  of  youth  the  Fifty-fifth  laid  in  this 
hecatomb,  the  names  of  five  only  are  found  upon  headstones. 
The  others  —  the  first  of  our  precious  sacrifice  to  the  war-god 
of  the  rebellion  —  are  gathered  with  the  great  harvest  of  the 
"unknown;"  nor  could  they  wish  — 

"  Couch  more  magnificent.    *        *        * 
*        *        *        *    The  hills, 
Rock-ribbed  and  ancient  as  the  sun;  the  vales 
Stretching  in  pensive  quietness  between; 
The  venerable  woods;  rivers  that  move 
In  majesty,  and  the  complaining  brooks 
That  make  the  meadows  green;    *      * 
Are  but  the  solemn  decorations  all 
Of  the  great  tomb  of  man.     The  golden  sun, 
The  planets,  all  the  infinite  host  of  heaven, 
Are  shining  on  the  sad  abodes  of  death, 
Through  the  still  lapse  of  ages.    *    *    * 

Those  whose  names  are  preserved  are  as  follows:  John 
M.  Banks,  Company  A;  John  Ashmore,  Company  B;  Oliver 
Lindsay,  Company  B;  Daniel  Greathouse,  Company  D; 
William  Bayless,  Company  D. 


THE    OLD    GRAVES.  I31 

Passing  along  the  Corinth  road  toward  the  front,  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  battle-ground  has  not  greatly  changed.  Some 
fields  have  been  abandoned  under  the  thriftless  culture  of  the 
region,  and  have  grown  up  to  underbrush.  Some  new  ones, 
small  and  irregular,  have  been  cleared  more  recently.  The 
inhabitants  are  hospitable  and  kind,  and  the  leading  citizen  is 
W.  C.  Meeks,  a  former  soldier  of  the  rebellion,  and  now  the 
proprietor  of  a  large  store  at  the  landing.  The  old  camp 
ground  of  the  Fifty-fifth  —  the  little  peach  orchard  which 
bloomed  at  the  time  of  the  battle — was  abandoned  a  few 
years  ago,  and  dogwood,  sassafras  and  hazel  begin  to  obstruct 
it.  The  house  occupied  by  Colonel  Stuart  as  his  headquarters 
was  burned  during  the  war.  The  group  of  log  cabins  which 
stood  at  the  left  of  the  camp  has  disappeared,  though  the 
foundation  logs  are  still  visible.  About  one-half  mile  west, 
and  upon  the  former  camping-ground  of  the  Seventy-first 
Ohio,  resides  Noah  Cantrill,  who  owns  that  portion  of  the 
battle-field  —  a  kindly  and  intelligent  man,  whose  hospitality 
was  cheerfully  rendered. 

The  ravine  upon  which  the  Fifty-fifth  fought  so  long  and 
so  well,  passes  close  in  rear  of  the  field  across  the  road. 
Tracing  along  its  precipitous  edge  eastward  toward  its  mouth 
for  about  five  hundred  yards,  hid  away  in  the  dense  thickets 
upon  its  southerly  edge,  are  numerous  yawning  cellar-like 
pits.  These  were  the  first  burial  places  of  the  first  dead  of 
the  Fifty-fifth.  They  lay  there  in  the  sylvan  beauty  of  the 
woods,  quietly  sleeping,  until  1866  and  1867,  when  the  remains 
were  taken  to  the  cemetery.  The  field  notes  of  those 
who  performed  that  duty  describe  the  location  as:  "Five 
hundred  yards  east  of  Larkin  Bell's  place,  on  a  point  of 
ridge.  Large  '55'  cut  on  tree  in  line.  Buried  in  two  lines 
and  one  trench  running  east  and  west."  Larkin  Bell's  field 
was  the  enclosure  across  the  road  from  the  Fifty-fifth  camp 
ing-ground,  at  the  west  end  of  which  was  the  building  used 
by  Colonel  Stuart.  At  the  time  the  dead  were  removed,  but 
little  of  the  head-boards  remained.  Beside  the  names  already 
given,  there  was  found  one  head-board  in  the  same  location 
marked  "Shulenberger."  This  was  unquestionably  William 
Shulenberger  of  Company  D.  Three  bodies  were  found  in 


132  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

one  trench,  at  which  was  a  head-board  marked  with  the 
initials  "D.  K.,  G.  W.  P.,  and  L.  P.  DM  55th  111."  Beyond 
doubt  this  was  the  grave  of  David  Kreider,  George  W.  Pen- 
nell  and  Lloyd  P.  Davis  of  Company  F. 

Much  of  the  large  timber  has  disappeared,  and  a  dense 
growth  of  underbrush  covers  everything  in  the  vicinity,  and 
men  in  line  of  battle,  located  where  the  Fifty-fifth  had  such 
splendid  range  on  the  6th  of  April,  1862,  could  now  see  but 
a  few  rods.  On  no  other  part  of  the  field  are  the  evidences 
of  severe  conflict  more  apparent.  All  the  trees  of  reason 
able  size  are  scarred  and  blotched  by  bullets.  Relics  can  be 
obtained  in  any  quantity.  Among  others,  the  writer  cut 
from  a  tree  two  of  the  large  bullets  of  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio, 
which  had  come  together  in  their  flight  and  formed  one  solid 
mass  of  lead.  A  citizen  engaged  in  splitting  rails  in  the 
ravine,  in  rear  of  the  position  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  found  near 
the  forks  of  two  large  limbs,  six  bullets  condensed  in  one 
mass.  The  beech  trees  in  the  gorges  of  the  vicinity  still 
plainly  bear  the  names  of  hundreds  of  soldiers  cut  upon 
them,  but  they  are  all  those  of  Buell's  and  Pope's  men,  who 
wandered  over  the  field  after  the  battle.  The  rebel  dead  who 
fell  before  the  sweep  of  Stuart's  fire  are  buried  here  and 
there,  the  spots  being  easily  identified  by  the  little  mounds 
of  gravelly  soil  over  them,  and  human  bones  are  too  plenti 
ful  to  excite  remark.  Old  canteens,  pieces  of  leather,  bullets, 
grape-shot,  gun-barrels,  fragments  of  shell,  bayonets  —  in 
short,  anything  calculated  to  resist  the  ravages  of  time,  can 
be  found  in  proportion  to  the  industry  of  the  relic  hunter. 

The  distance  from  the  graves  on  Stuart's  right  to  those  on 
the  left  of  McArthur  has  been  found  by  actual  measurement 
to  be  a  little  over  eight  hundred  yards,  or  about  one-half 
mile.  This  fixes  conclusively  the  interval  unoccupied  by 
troops  upon  the  right  of  the  Fifty-fifth.  It  is  equally  con 
clusive  on  the  point  that  Chalmers  and  Jackson  were  both 
engaged,  and  occupied  for  some  hours  solely  with  two  regi 
ments  of  infantry,  because  being  actually  connected  together 
in  their  movements,  as  already  shown,  they  would  not  have 
reached  far  enough  west  to  have  engaged  McArthur.  If  the 
rebel  line  in  that  quarter  had  been  long  enough  to  cover  this 


A    FICTION    EXPOSED.  133 

interval,  it  is  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that  eight  hundred 
yards  of  its  centre  would  have  stood  idle  while  the  two  flanks 
were  for  some  hours  engaged  in  a  desperate  struggle.  Sev 
eral  Confederate  officers  of  high  rank  conversed  with  the 
Federal  wounded  on  the  field,  and  to  Sergeant- Major 
McAuley  and  others  expressed  their  disbelief  that  so  small 
a  force  had  resisted  them  so  long. 

There  runs  a  fiction  through  many  narratives  of  this  epoch 
that  the  best  fighting  and  the  greatest  losses  at  Shiloh  were 
toward  the  Union  right.  Such  is  explicitly  stated  to  be  the 
case  by  General  Grant.  It  is  almost  a  pity  to  disturb  such 
well  settled  myths,  yet  it  is  easy  of  demonstration  that  in  that 
direction  was  the  poorest  fighting,  the  greatest  confusion  and 
the  least  blood  shed.  Commencing  at  the  right  of  the  two 
brigades  which  fought  under  Hurlbut,  it  is  found  that  in 
addition  to  them,  the  Ninth,  Twelfth,  Fiftieth  and  Fifty-fifth 
Illinois,  and  Fifty-fourth  Ohio,  though  greatly  disconnected, 
fought  at  different  times  through  the  day  on  substantially 
the  same  front,  and  were  the  only  troops  engaged  on  the  left 
flank.  These  troops  embraced  thirteen  regiments,  and  lost 
in  killed  and  wounded  about  one-third  of  the  casualties  of 
the  entire  Federal  army,  on  the  first  day.  The  remainder  of 
Grant's  forces  were  about  fifty  regiments  of  infantry,  twenty 
batteries,  and  considerable  cavalry.  It  appears  then  that  on 
less  than  one  mile  of  front  on  the  left,  one-fifth  of  the  army 
suffered  one-third  of  the  total  loss  in  killed  and  wounded. 
The  very  slight  loss  in  prisoners  on  that  flank  is  another 
evidence  of  how  closely  they  held  together.  In  the  opinion 
of  the  writer  the  Confederates  suffered  severest  at  the  peach 
orchard  of  the  Sarah  Bell  place,  while  engaged  with  Hurlbut, 
a  little  more  than  one-half  mile  to  the  right  of  the  Fifty-fifth. 
The  figures  here  used  are  found  in  Volume  X,  Official  Records 
of  the  Rebellion. 

If  any  apology  be  necessary  for  the  space  used  in  the 
treatment  of  the  foregoing  events,  it  is  found  in  the  facts 
themselves.  The  importance  and  sanguinary  character  of 
the  battle  of  Shiloh,  even  now  when  we  have  the  history  of 
the  whole  war  before  us,  is  conspicuous.  The  per  cent,  of 
killed  and  wounded  in  Grant's  army  alone  was  equal  to  that 


134  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

of  the  entire  Atlanta  or  Vicksburg  campaign,  and  twice  that  of 
the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  The  small  Federal  army  on  the  first 
day  at  Shiloh  lost  as  many  men  from  gunshot  wounds  as  did 
the  great  army  of  one  hundred  thousand  men  under  McClellan 
during  the  seven  days'  battles,  or  at  Fair  Oaks  and  Seven 
Pines.  All  this,  together  with  the  controversial  and  false 
character  of  the  accounts  relating  to  the  conflict,  renders 
brief  treatment,  if  truth  is  desired,  improper  and  impossible. 
It  should  be  remembered  also  that  the  merits  of  the  contest 
which  Stuart's  two  regiments  carried  on  at  the  extreme  left, 
have  hitherto  been  almost  concealed  from  the  public.  If 
this  work,  having  for  its  object  the  history  of  the  Fifty-fifth, 
does  not  do  justice  to  its  services  on  that  occasion,  it  fails  in 
one  of  its  chief  purposes.  This  cannot  be  done  without 
elaboration  of  detail. 

The  casualties  of  the  Fifty-fifth  during  the  battle  were 
among  the  severest  found  in  the  annals  of  warfare.  In  some 
respects  it  would  be  desirable  to  mention  each  person  who 
died  or  was  injured  in  this  their  first  great  test  of  valor.  The 
length  of  the  list,  with  some  uncertainty  as  to  strict  accuracy, 
however,  points  to  a  different  course  as  the  most  judicious, 
all  things  considered.  In  this  connection,  regimental  losses 
have  been  examined  in  detail  of  McClellan's  and  Pope's 
Virginia  campaigns,  and  the  battles  of  Bull  Run,  Wilson's 
Creek,  Pea  Ridge,  Donelson,  Shiloh,  Corinth,  luka,  Perryville, 
Chickasaw  Bayou,  and  Arkansas  Post,  and  among  the  hun 
dreds  of  Union  regiments  therein  engaged,  but  three  have 
been  found  which  lost  more  in  killed  and  wounded  than  did 
the  Fifty-fifth  at  Shiloh,  and  those  but  few  more.  These 
casualties  are  given  in  the  official  records  of  the  War  Depart 
ment  as  fifty-one  killed  and  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven 
wounded,  or  almost  exactly  one-half  of  the  effective  total 
engaged.  Thirty-five  of  the  wounded  are  known  to  have 
died  within  the  year,  and  nine  died  while  prisoners.  The 
actual  loss  of  life  to  the  regiment  from  the  battle  cannot  be 
put  much  less  than  one  hundred,  while  the  loss  to  the  service 
was  not  greatly  below  two  hundred.  Several  are  known  to 
have  been  slightly  wounded,  and  would  have  been  so  classed 
later,  that  did  not  appear  in  the  reports  at  all. 


CHAPTER    III. 

AFTER    SHILOH.  —  CORINTH    TO    MEMPHIS. 

MONDAY  night,  after  the  close  of  the  battle  of  Shiloh, 
was  passed  by  the  Fifty-fifth  without  shelter  among  the 
dead,  near  Sherman's  headquarters.  It  again  rained  inces 
santly  and  but  little  rest  was  secured.  Two  days'  fierce 
fighting  and  two*  nights'  drenching  rain,  with  very  meagre 
rations,  produced  a  degree  of  exhaustion  appreciable  only  by 
those  who  have  endured  like  privations.  Now  that  the  battle 
was  over,  the  necessity  for  Stuart's  co-operation  with  his  divis 
ion  seemed  pressing.  Before  and  during  the  battle,  such  a 
rudimentary  principle  in  tactics  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  thought  of.  It  would  have  been  a  great  favor  if  those 
remaining  could  have  marched  to  their  own  camp,  two  miles 
away,  and  there  rested  in  their  own  tents,  and  taken  care  of 
their  own  wounded.  It  now  seems  reasonable  that  Buell's 
great  army,  at  least  ten  thousand  of  whom  had  not  fired  a 
shot,  should  have  taken  care  of  the  front,  and  such  worn  out 
and  depleted  organizations  as  the  Fifty-fifth  have  been  given 
a  season  of  rest  and  a  chance  to  succor  their  own  suffering 
comrades.  More  than  one-half  of  Buckland's  and  Hilde- 
brand's  brigades,  which  formed  under  Sherman's  personal 
command  just  before  he  "became  satisfied  for  the  first  time 
that  the  enemy  designed  a  determined  attack,"  had,  after 
the  first  wild  burst  of  speed  to  the  landing,  enjoyed  two 
days'  physical  and  mental  repose  under  its  protecting  bluffs. 
Neither  brigade  had  lost  as  many  men  as  had  the  Fifty-fifth 
Illinois.  Nevertheless,  Stuart's  brigade  remained  at  Shiloh 


136  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

church  among  its  horrid  scenes  and  stenches,  without  shelter 
and  with  little  to  eat.  On  Tuesday,  the  eighth  of  April, 
there  was  a  condition  of  nervous  excitement  in  expectation 
of  another  attack,  and  the  Seventy-first  Ohio  started  another 
senseless  stampede.  On  the  ninth,  a  reconnoissance  was 
undertaken  by  Sherman's  division.  The  route  of  four  miles 
followed  by  Stuart  was  entirely  free  from  resistance,  but  the 
whole  country  was  found  strewn  with  Confederate  dead  and 
wounded  and  great  quantities  of  war  material  which  had 
been  abandoned  in  headlong  flight. 

From  this  time  to  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  April,  the 
dreary  preparations  for  the  advance  upon  Corinth  followed. 
Meanwhile  the  men  were  left  among  the  shallow  graves  of 
the  battle-field.  Daily  drill  was  performed,  and  occasionally 
a  review  was  held.  A  mile  or  so  to  the  front  good  camping 
ground  offered,  with  plenty  of  shade,  wood  and  water,  and, 
what  was  far  more  important,  freedom  from  the  mephitic 
odors  which  pervaded  and  poisoned  the  immediate  vicinity. 
Under  General  Halleck's  personal  management,  a  scientific 
system  was  soon  adopted,  so  unwieldly  that  all  freedom  of 
movement  and  convenience  were  lost  sight  of.  Now  that 
the  rebels  were  well  whipped  and  engaged  in  reorganizing  at 
Corinth,  it  was  apparently  considered  a  necessity  that  each 
brigade  should  touch  elbows  with  its  neighbor,  while  before 
and  during  the  battle  a  mile  of  unguarded  space  excited  no 
attention.  As  a  natural  and  inevitable  result  of  the  sur 
roundings  much  sickness  ensued,  and  the  Fifty-fifth  was 
reduced  to  a  lower  standard  of  effective  strength  than  at  any 
other  time  before  re-enlistment,  having  at  a  review  held  on 
April  1 5th  or  i6th,  but  two  hundred  men  in  line.  In  some 
instances  the  sick  were  hauled  in  wagons  to  the  drill  ground 
for  the  purpose  of  looking  on.  The  object  of  this  was  prob 
ably  sanitary  rather  than  the  teaching  of  military  science. 

Notwithstanding  the  discouraging  circumstances  of  the 
period,  evidences  are  not  wanting  to  show  that  those  mem 
bers  of  the  Fifty-fifth  able  for  duty  were  still  imbued  with 
the  same  high  sense  of  patriotism  which  brought  them  into 
the  service.  The  accomplished  Captain  Thurston,  who  was 
soon  to  succumb  to  the  hardships  of  army  life,  wrote  about 


PURE    PATRIOTISM.  137 

this  time  to  his  wife,  in  relation  to  his  sword  which  had  been 
injured  by  a  bullet  in  the  previous  battle,  as  follows: 

If  you  ever  get  it,  give  it  to  Willie;  and  tell  him  his  father  fought  at 
Shiloh,  and  that  he  would  rather  lie  with  his  face  to  the  moon  than  that  a 
son  of  his  should  ever  fear  to  give  his  life  for  his  country's  honor. 

The  brave  and  soldierly  Sergeant  Brink,  subsequently  an 
officer  who  lost  his  life,  wrote  to  his  comrade,  Calvin  Fluke, 
who  had  been  badly  wounded  and  was  then  on  furlough : 

I  was  truly  happy  to  know  that  one  brave  wounded  hero  of  the  mem 
orable  Shiloh  battle  was  still  in  the  land  of  the  living.  I  am  very  glad  to 
learn  you  are  able  to  move,  and  I  hope  to  live  to  return  to  see  you  all 
right.  I  think  you  deserve  to  get  well,  if  a  soldier  ever  did.  You  have 
shown  yourself  to  be  a  true  patriot  and  worthy  to  live  and  enjoy  a  free 
government.  Be  cheerful,  Cal.;  if  you  never  get  able  to  come  back,  you 
have  discharged  your  duty  to  your  country. 

Sergeant  Henry  Augustine  wrote  home  to  his  brother 
Michael,  who  had  apparently  expressed  some  disappointment 
that  his  brother  had  not  been  promoted : 

You  speak  of  the  disappointment  you  feel  in  my  behalf  in  regard  to 
the  appointment  of  officers  in  the  Fifty-fifth.  Do  not  let  that  worry  you 
in  the  least,  for  I  assure  you  I  did  at  the  time,  and  do  now,  care  but  pre 
cious  little  about  it.  This  was  not  my  purpose  in  enlisting,  and  the  position 
of  a  private  is  as  honorable  as  that  of  an  officer. 

The  above  extracts  are  copied  from  the  yellow  and  time- 
stained  originals,  and  it  is  not  perceived  but  they  are  exhibi 
tions  of  patriotism  as  pure  and  as  deep  as  existed  in  the  days 
of  Valley  Forge. 

The  correspondent  of  the  Chicago  Tribune,  under  date  of 
April  iSth,  chronicles  that  the  Seventy-first  Ohio,  a  regiment 
which  had  disgraced  itself  at  Shiloh,  and  whose  colors  had 
been  taken  away,  had  on  that  day  arrived  at  Paducah,  on  the 
way  to  the  rear  to  do  garrison  duty  at  Fort  Donelson.  That 
regiment  may  be  finally  disposed  of  by  stating  that  in  August 
of  that  year  its  colonel,  Rodney  Mason,  disgracefully  sur 
rendered  six  companies  to  an  inferior  force,  at  Clarksville, 
without  firing  a  shot,  and  that  he  and  about  a  dozen  line 
officers  were  dismissed  for  it.  The  remaining  four  companies 
under  Major  (late  Adjutant)  Hart,  repulsed  the  same  force 


FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

from  Donelson  with  a  trifling  loss.  Later  in  the  war  the 
regiment  did  good  service  under  good  officers. 

The  month  was  passed  among  the  half-buried  remains  of 
horses  and  men,  which  everywhere  obtruded  their  ghastly 
presence  to  the  senses  of  sight  and  smell,  and  the  sick-list  of 
the  Fifty-fifth  averaged  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  men. 
On  April  2gth  the  ponderous  preparations  of  General  Halleck 
were  deemed  sufficiently  perfect  for  an  advance  toward 
Corinth,  and  the  unfruitful  campaign  in  that  direction  was 
undertaken,  and  the  one  hundred  thousand  men  assembled 
there  put  in  motion.  Stuart's  brigade,  then  consisting  of 
only  two  small  regiments,  started  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  fore 
noon,  and  halted  near  Monterey,  where  the  actual  work  of 
the  siege  commenced.  On  May  2d,  two  months'  pay  was 
received  from  Major  Gatzmer. 

Sherman's  division  formed  the  right  of  the  army,  and  the 
work  until  the  i/th  of  May  consisted  in  building  ponderous 
lines  of  breast-works,  and  in  performing  guard  and  picket 
duty.  Some  long  range  skirmishing  was  indulged  in,  but 
without  loss  to  Stuart.  By  an  order  dated  May  I3th,  it  would 
seem  that  the  Fourteenth  Wisconsin  was  assigned  to  the 
brigade,  but  the  order  was  never  consummated,  probably 
because  Morgan  L.  Smith  preferred  to  bring  his  own  regi 
ment,  the  Eighth  Missouri,  with  him.  On  May  I5th  that 
officer,  then  a  full  brigadier,  was  assigned  to  duty,  and  the 
Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  Eighth  Missouri,  Fifty-fourth  and  Fifty- 
seventh  Ohio,  were  together  constituted  the  First  brigade  of 
Sherman's  Fifth  division.  This  brought  into  close  conjunc 
tion  four  excellent  regiments,  which  maintained  relations 
more  or  less  intimate  during  the  war,  and  each  made  a  name 
for  itself.  At  this  time  also  began  the  acquaintance  of  the 
Fifty-fifth  with  General  Morgan  L.  Smith,  the  most  expert 
drill-master  and  tactician  under  whom  it  ever  served.  He 
was  the  first  colonel  of  the  Eighth  Missouri,  which  had 
been  recruited  principally  from  Illinois.  That  regiment  was 
for  a  long  time  dressed  in  a  showy  Zouave  uniform,  and  was 
very  expert  in  skirmish  drill  and  bayonet  exercise.  The 
great  newspaper  reputation  which  it  gained  in  spite  of  its 
trifling  losses,  illustrates  both  the  effect  of  being  well  handled 


RUSSELL'S    HOUSE.  139 

in  action,  and  of  a  discreet  cultivation  of  the  good-will  of 
correspondents.  As  to  the  former,  it  was  never  allowed  to 
present  a  line  of  battle  to  the  enemy  if  a  skirmish  line  would 
answer  the  purpose.  Having  excellent  officers,  who  acquired 
their  knowledge  under  such  a  teacher,  the  regiment  was 
always  used  with  as  much  reference  to  the  safety  of  its  mem 
bers  as  circumstances  would  permit;  all  of  which  was  in 
striking  contrast  to  the  management  of  the  first  field-officers 
of  the  Fifty-fifth.  Under  the  free-and-easy  and  somewhat 
rough  exterior  of  Morgan  L.  Smith,  was  a  kind  heart  and  a 
deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  men.  He  bandied  jokes 
freely  with  the  troops  in  the  ranks,  and  was  not  averse  to 
receiving  as  well  as  giving  rough  language.  His  great  gifts 
as  drill-master  soon  put  him  in  charge  of  one  of  the  best 
drilled  brigades  in  the  United  States  army. 

His  own  capacity,  as  well  as  the  mettle  of  a  portion  of 
his  men,  was  soon  destined  to  be  subjected  to  trial.  This 
occurred  on  May  i/th,  in  a  brilliant  little  affair  called  "Rus 
sell's  House."  The  position  was  a  strong  salient  of  the  enemy, 
and  about  one  and  a  quarter  miles  in  advance  of  their  main 
intrenchments.  It  was  located  along  a  ridge,  and  on  one 
portion  of  the  line  was  situated  in  a  field  the  house,  named 
after  its  owner.  The  point  was  guarded  by  a  rebel  brigade, 
which  was  there  with  the  evident  intention  of  holding  it. 
The  object  of  the  aggressive  action  was  to  capture  the  posi 
tion  for  the  purpose  of  advancing  the  Federal  right  wing 
close  to  the  main  works  of  the  enemy. 

The  movement  commenced  at  three  o'clock  in  the  after 
noon  of  May  I /th,  and  Morgan  L.  Smith's  brigade  advanced, 
led  by  the  Eighth  Missouri  and  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  directly 
upon  the  main  Corinth  road  and  against  the  brigade.  The 
route  was  along  the  causeway  over  a  branch  of  Bridge  Creek, 
after  crossing  which  the  Confederate  skirmishers  were  met, 
and  the  fight  was  opened  by  the  deployment  of  two  com 
panies  of  the  Eighth  Missouri.  The  rebel  advance  line  being 
obstinate,  four  additional  companies  of  that  regiment  were 
deployed  on  the  left.  Finding  his  line  still  overlapped,  Gen 
eral  Smith  called  upon  Colonel  Stuart  for  two  companies  of 
the  Fifty-fifth,  to  be  extended  in  the  same  direction.  As 


140  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

usual,  Companies  A  and  B  were  selected  for  the  duty,  and 
Colonel  Stuart  directed  Captain  Slattery  of  Company  I  to 
take  charge  of  both.  This,  while  an  evidence  of  deserved 
confidence  in  Captain  Slattery,  was  entirely  unnecessary, 
because  the  commanders  of  the  flank  companies  were  as 
competent  as  officers  need  be  for  that  duty.  Upon  being  so 
ordered,  Captain  Slattery  requested  to  be  permitted  to  take 
his  own  company,  and  accordingly  it  was  substituted  for 
Company  A.  The  former  was  deployed  immediately  to  the 
left  of  the  Eighth  skirmishers,  and  Company  B,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Thurston,  who,  though  weak  and  stag 
gering  from  disease,  remained  with  his  men,  was  placed  next 
beyond.  The  Russell  House,  with  its  out-buildings,  was 
directly  in  front  of  the  skirmishers  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  and 
was  the  prominent  feature  of  the  landscape.  The  whole 
Federal  skirmish  line  gallantly  advanced,  and  as  soon  as 
Bolton's  battery  could  get  into  position  it  opened  upon  the 
buildings,  around  and  in  which  the  rebels  were  thronging. 
Finally,  when  the  line  was  within  fifty  yards  of  the  house, 
the  Confederates  gave  way  and  the  position  was  captured. 
For  a  short  time  Company  B  was  subjected  to  the  fire  of  one 
of  Hurlbut's  batteries  on  the  left,  which  had  been  misled  by 
their  rapid  advance,  and  mistook  them  for  the  enemy.  The 
whole  affair  was  short,  sharp  and  decisive,  and  was  under  the 
direct  supervision  of  General  Morgan  L.  Smith,  whose 
bravery,  in  connection  with  his  incisive,  clear-headed  way  of 
managing  things,  at  once  earned  him  the  confidence  of  the 
men.  The  Fifty-fifth  for  the  first  time  saw  the  utility  of  a 
well-handled  and  rapid-moving  skirmish  line,  and  felt  its 
comparative  economy  of  bloodshed.  General  Sherman  after 
wards  spoke  of  this  as  "the  prettiest  little  fight  of  the  war;" 
and  his  reports  insist  on  giving  the  credit  of  it  to  General 
Morgan  L.  Smith  and  the  men  under  him. 

Thirteen  dead  rebels  were  found  upon  the  ground,  among 
whom  were  one  captain  and  two  lieutenants.  One  of  these 
officers  was  shot  just  as  he  was  emerging  from  the  door  of 
the  house,  and  he  fell  dead  upon  the  door-step,  with  his 
brains  scattered  over  it.  One  Confederate  was  shot  through 
the  widow  of  the  chamber,  where  he  was  found  dead.  It 


RUSSELL'S    HOUSE.  141 

was  claimed  at  the  time  that  Tony  Hughes  aimed  the-  rifle 
that  was  to  be  accredited  with  that  particular  job  of  recon 
struction.  In  his  report  General  Smith  mentions  one  prisoner 
as  captured  by  the  Eighth  Missouri.  That  prisoner  was,  in 
point  of  fact,  taken  out  of  a  corn-crib  by  S.  P.  Whitmore  of 
Company  I  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  where  he  had  been  held  by  the 
fire  of  Fred  Ebersold  and  Alec  Littlefield  of  the  same  com 
pany,  and  was  turned  over  to  one  of  the  Eighth  Missouri. 
As  usual  no  report  was  made  for  the  regiment,  and  no  per 
sonal  credit  bestowed.  As  was  also  usual,  every  meritorious 
act,  general  or  personal,  on  the  part  of  the  Eighth  Missouri, 
was  reported  by  its  officers  with  suitable  rhetorical  embellish 
ment,  and  the  regular  newspaper  blast  followed. 

There  were  about  seventy  men  of  the  Fifty-fifth  actually 
deployed  and  engaged,  of  which  eight  were  hit  with  rifle 
bullets.  The  only  one  killed  outright  was  Andrew  J.  Jones 
of  Company  B.  He  was  a  small,  active  man,  and  a  general 
favorite  with  his  company.  He  had  enlisted  as  a  musician, 
but  at  his  own  urgent  request  had  been  placed  in  the  ranks. 
He  had  before  been  wounded  by  a  buck-shot  at  Shiloh,  which 
hit  him  in  the  forehead,  and  came  out  at  the  back  of  the 
head  without  breaking  the  skull.  At  Russell's  House  he 
advanced  with  the  rush  of  his  company,  and  when  about  one 
hundred  yards  from  the  house  he  was  seen  to  drop  his  gun 
and  throw  up  his  hands,  and  heard  to  exclaim  with  a  loud 
voice,  "Hurrah  for  the  Fifty-fifth!"  and  immediately  fell  to 
the  ground.  After  the  contest  was  ended  he  was  found  dead, 
having  been  shot  through  the  breast  in  the  region  of  the 
heart.  Robert  Clark,  an  excellent  soldier  of  the  same  com 
pany,  was  mortally  wounded,  and  Robert  Rule  badly  wounded. 
In  Company  I,  George  Ullman,  John  T.  Clark,  Edward  Bogart, 
Norton  H.  Dowling  and  George  W.  Bookhalt  were  all  very 
severely  wounded,  and  three  of  them  had  to  be  discharged 
in  consequence. 

Sergeant  Fred  Ebersold  and  Alec  Littlefield  of  Company 
I  were  for  a  time  behind  a  tree  within  fifty  yards  of  the 
house,  and  many  rebel  shots  were  directed  that  way.  The 
bullet-marks  in  this  tree  were  afterward  counted,  and  found 
to  number  more  than  thirty.  The  whole  regiment  was  under 


142  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

a  scattering  fire  of  both  artillery  and  musketry,  but  suffered 
no  loss  other  than  the  above.  After  the  retreat  of  the  rebels, 
Morgan  L.  Smith  was  chaffing  with  the  men  about  the  inci 
dents  of  the  fight,  when  a  member  of  the  Eighth  Missouri 
loudly  claimed  for  that  regiment  the  credit  of 'capturing 
the  house.  Sergeant  Fred  Ebersold  of  Company  I  of  the 
Fifty-fifth  was  close  by,  and  vehemently  denied  this,  and 
presented  a  canteen  of  whisky  which  he  had  got  in  the  house 
as  an  evidence  that  his  own  regiment  was  entitled  to  the 
honor.  Morgan  L.  quietly  sampled  the  contents  of  the  can 
teen,  and  turning  to  the  Eighth  Missourian,  told  him  to  'Dry 
up,  for  if  that  regiment  had  got  into  the  house  first,  nobody 
else  would  ever  have  found  a  canteen  of  whisky  there.'  At 
the  close  of  the  contest,  Companies  B  and  I,  reinforced  by 
Company  A,  were  sent  to  the  woods  beyond  the  house,  and 
remained  on  picket  during  the  night.  The  ground  was  held, 
and  for  a  time  became  a  salient  of  the  Union  line,  though  the 
reports  show  the  usual  timid  hesitation  and  fear  of  a  general 
engagement,  on  the  part  of  Grandmother  Halleck,  who  had 
so  soon  been  appropriately  named  by  the  discriminating 
soldiers. 

Aside  from  this  very  creditable  affair  the  campaign  known 
as  the  Approach  on  Corinth,  was  devoid  of  dramatic  interest 
on  the  right  flank.  During  the  month  used  up  by  the  slow 
operations,  the  Confederate  commander,  with  scarce  half  the 
force  of  his  opponents,  at  least  twice  offered  battle  outside 
his  intrenchments.  The  great  opportunity  was  each  time 
evaded  by  the  Federal  chief.  The  process  by  which  the 
Union  army  worked  its  way  to  Corinth  has  passed  into  his 
tory  as  one  of  the  most  inefficient  operations  of  the  war. 
Like  the  Siege  of  Yorktown,  in  the  East,  it  involved  an 
elaboration  of  strategy  that  now  looks  a  good  deal  like 
imbecility.  In  both  cases  the  commanders  were  paralyzed 
by  the  belief  that  their  opponents  had  in  hand  an  army  as 
large  or  larger  than  their  own,  an  overestimate  of  enormous 
proportions. 

Seven  different  and  complete  lines  of  intrenchments, 
reaching  for  miles  across  the  whole  front  of  the  army,  were 
erected.  They  were  not  rifle-pits  or  field-works,  but  solid 


ADVANCE    ON    CORINTH.  143 

massive  earth-works  with  log  backing  and  all  scientific 
attachments,  and  were  far  superior  to  the  rebel  works  around 
Corinth.  They  are  yet  to  be  seen,  with  their  outlines  almost 
perfect.  The  Fifty-fifth  did  its  full  share  of  digging,  and 
the  fortifications  built  by  the  regiment  were  the  pride  of 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Malmborg's  heart.  He  was  never  so 
happy  as  when  displaying  his  alleged  engineering  skill. 

Among  other  fantasies  of  the  commander-in-chief  was  the 
fear  of  an  early  morning  attack,  and  with  a  view  to  properly 
meet  this  the  men  were  at  times  compelled  to  get  up  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning  and  resort  to  the  works  just  in  front 
of  their  camps,  fully  armed  and  equipped,  and  there  lie  down 
so  as  to  be  able  to  arise  in  battle  array.  On  one  of  these 
occasions,  Colonel  Stuart  was  endeavoring  to  arouse  the 
sleepy  men  when  he  stumbled  over  some  soldier.  He  at 
once  fell  to  kicking  and  cursing,  when  the  recumbent  form 
arose,  clinched  him,  took  him  down,  rolled  him  in  the  mud, 
hit  him  once  or  twice,  and  escaped  unidentified  into  the 
surrounding  darkness. 

On  May  22d,  Sherman's  entire  force  made  a  careful 
advance  along  the  Corinth-Purdy  road  and  occupied  the 
ground  about  one  and  one-half  miles  in  front  of  the  point 
from  which  they  started.  Another  substantial  line  of  works 
was  erected  as  a  matter  of  course.  This  brought  the  Federal 
front  near  to  the  main  works  of  the  Confederates,  and  skir 
mishing  was  close  and  constant,  though  fortunately  no  loss 
was  suffered  by  the  Fifty-fifth.  All  supplies  were  trans 
ported  from  Pittsburgh  Landing,  now  nearly  twenty  miles  in 
the  rear,  and  over  roads  of  the  worst  character,  utterly 
impassible  but  for  the  sturdy  Northern  labor  laid  out  upon 
them.  As  might  be  supposed,  rations  were  not  over  plen 
tiful.  The  quartermaster  and  commissary  department  of  the 
regiment  was  as  efficiently  managed  as  possible  by  Quarter 
master  Janes  and  his  subordinates,  Capron  and  Fisher. 
Indeed,  all  through  the  service  this  department  was  remark 
ably  well  administered.  The  persons  who  controlled  it  and 
who  were  therefore  in  a  measure  non-combatants,  were 
always  considered  fair  game  for  chaffing,  but  under  this 
rough  and  hilarious  badinage  there  was  a  genuine  respect  for 


144  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

the  men  who  so  well  attended  to  their  very  important  duties. 
Greenbacks  were  plenty  and  the  surroundings  afforded  a 
poor  opportunity  for  disbursement;  and  although  the  exigen 
cies  of  poker  and  chuck-a-luck  from  time  to  time  changed 
the  "money  centres,"  there  was  a  good  deal  in  circulation. 
John  Esson,  the  new  sutler,  arrived  about  this  time,  and  with 
him  a  full  stock  of  goods,  and  thereafter  the  gorgeous  salary 
drawn  by  a  private  soldier  had  a  place  of  deposit  near  at 
hand.  Every  day  the  men  learned  more  and  more  to  appre 
ciate  the  zeal  and  humanity  of  Surgeon  Roler  and  Chaplain 
Haney.  The  respect  and  gratitude  which  survives  for  them 
is  a  better  evidence  of  their  good  work  than  any  compliments 
which  can  be  recorded  here.  While  labor  upon  the  intrench- 
rnents  was  incessant,  and  picket  duty  constant,  drill  and 
parade  were  unremittingly  exacted;  so  that  the  work  of  the 
campaign  amounted  to  downright  slavery;  and  while  it  may 
have  hardened  the  survivors  into  veteran  soldiers,  many 
weakened  and  died  under  its  hardships.  Lieutenant  J.  B. 
Johnson,  the  bright,  active  officer  in  command  of  Company 
F  at  this  time,  relates  an  incident  which  will  recall  the  field- 
officer  referred  to  in  all  the  glory  of  his  zeal  and  power. 
It  is  as  follows: 

On  one  occasion  I  was  selected  to  take  charge  of  a  detail  of  men, 
fifty  in  number,  one-half  of  whom  were  armed  with  axes  and  the  other 
half  with  guns.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Malmborg  rode  up  and  ordered  me 
to  form  my  men  in  line,  which  I  did.  Thereupon  he  was  duly  saluted. 
Said  he,  "Lieutenant  Von  Johnson,  vill  you  shtep  dis  vay?"  I  ap 
proached  him  with  a  salute.  Pointing  in  the  direction  of  a  clump  of 
large  trees,  he  said,  "  Lieutenant  Von  Johnson,  you  vill  dake  your  men 
down  de  rafine,  keeping  veil  sekreded,  ondil  you  ged  close  by  de  glump 
of  dimber,  den  you  vill"  —  and  suddenly  looking  down  at  me,  and  seeing 
that  I  was  looking  in  the  direction  which  he  was  pointing,  he  exclaimed, 
"  Lieutenant  Von  Johnson,  by  Gott,  ven  I  dalk  to  you,  I  vant  you  to  look 
to  me ! "  I  recovered  myself  as  soon  as  possible,  saluted  him,  and 
assured  him  that  I  was  paying  strict  attention  to  his  directions  and  was 
looking  where  he  pointed.  "  Veil,"  he  repeated,  "  ven  I  dalk  mit  you,  I 
vant  you  to  look  to  me."  I  was  considerably  incensed  at  his  unreasonable 
assault  and  resolved  that  I  would  strictly  and  literally  obey  his  orders, 
and  while  he  talked  to  me,  look  straight  at  him.  He  began  again  by 
pointing  in  the  direction  of  the  clump  of  trees  and  said,  "Lieutenant 
Von  Johnson,  you  vill  dake  your  men  and  file  down  de  rafine,  keeping  de 
men  veil  sekreded,  ondil  you  come  down  opposid  de  glump  of  dimber 


LIEUTENANT    JOHNSON'S    ARREST.  145 

vat  you  see  on  de  poind  of  land;  un  den,  you  vill  durn  to  de  leff,  klimb 
de  shteep  ascent  to  de  glump  of  dimber"  —  and,  suddenly  looking  down 
at  me,  he  noticed  that  I  was  looking  straight  at  him,  just  as  he  told  me 
to  a  moment  before,  when  he  broke  out,  "  Lieutenant  Von  Johnson,  by 
Gott,  ven  I  dalk  to  you  I  vant  you  to  look  ver  I  poind."  I  rephed,  with  a 
salute,  "Colonel,  you  ordered  me  just  now  to  look  at  you,  and  I  was 
obeying  your  order  literally."  "Veil,"  said  he,  "by  Gott,  ven  I  dalk  mit 
you,  I  vant  you  to  look  ver  I  poind."  I  told  him  I  was  ready  to  obey  his 
orders.  He  proceeded  again,  "  Lieutenant  Von  Johnson,  you  vill  dake 
your  men  and  file  down  de  rafine,  keeping  dem  veil  sekreded  from  de 
fire  of  de  enemy,  ondil  you  reach  a  poind  opposid  the  glump  of  dimber, 
den  you  vill  turn  to  de  leff."  Suddenly  looking  at  me  and  discovering 
that  I  was  looking  where  he  pointed,  he  broke  out  again  :  "  Lieutenant  Von 
Johnson,  vat  for  you  shtand  like  a  kettle  ?  By  Gott,  ven  I  talk  to  you,  I 
vant  you  to  look  to  me."  This  was  too  much  for  frail  humanity,  and  I 
retorted  on  the  old  tyrant  by  saying  to  him,  that  while  I  was  an  American 
soldier,  I  was  an  American  born  citizen,  and  drawing  my  sword,  an 
nounced  to  him  that  I  did  not  propose  to  be  insulted  by  a  man  who  had 
neither  decency  nor  good-breeding.  Thereupon  he  ordered  a  file  of  men 
to  take  me  to  the  guard-house.  I  turned  and  ordered  the  men  to  keep 
their  places  in  the  ranks,  and  so  matters  went  on  for  some  time  —  Malm- 
borg  ordering  the  men  to  take  me  to  the  guard-house  and  I  ordering 
them  to  keep  their  places  in  the  ranks.  Although  Malmborg  ranked  me> 
his  unpopularity  rendered  his  order  impotent  and  gave  mine  force,  so 
that  the  men  obeyed  me  and  kept  their  places  in  the  ranks.  He  then  or 
dered  me  to  consider  myself  under  arrest  and  surrender  my  sword  to 
him  and  return  to  my  quarters,  which  I  did  promptly  and  thereby  escaped 
the  perilous  adventure  down  the  ravine  to  assist  in  cutting  the  timber  that 
seemed  to  be  in  the  way.  The  next  day,  Colonel  Stuart  sent  for  Colonel 
Malmborg  and  myself,  to  report  to  his  headquarters,  whereupon  he  pro 
ceeded  to  giv^  us  a  few  lessons  in  soldierly  etiquette,  ordered  my  sword 
returned  to  me,  and  directed  me  to  take  command  of  my  company  again, 
which  I  did. 

On  May  27th  orders  were  received  by  General  Sherman, 
from  the  commander-in-chief,  "to  send  a  force  the  next  day 
to  drive  the  rebels  from  the  house  in  our  front  on  the  Corinth 
road,  to  drive  in  their  pickets  as  far  as  possible,  and  to  make 
a  strong  demonstration  on  Corinth  itself."  Accordingly,  at 
eight  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  Morgan  L.  Smith,  with  skirm 
ishers  well  to  the  front,  took  the  lead.  The  dominating 
feature  of  the  landscape  was  a  double  log  house  standing  on 
a  ridge  at  the  south  end  of  a  field,  from  which  the  roof  and 
chinks  had  been  removed  by  the  rebels  for  the  purpose  of 
transforming  it  into  a  block-house.  Two  of  the  celebrated 
10 


146  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

Silversparre  twenty-pound  Parrott  guns  were  along,  and  being 
masked  behind  timber  were  loaded  with  shell,  and  then 
moved  by  the  help  of  the  Fifty-fifth  into  easy  range.  A  fire 
wonderful  for  its  accuracy  was  opened  upon  the  house,  and 
in  a  few  moments  the  rebels  in  consternation  fled  from  it. 
The  whole  infantry  line  at  a  given  signal  pressed  forward, 
and  by  ten  o'clock  the  position  sought  for  was  in  our  posses 
sion,  not  a  shot  having  been  fired  except  by  the  artillery  and 
skirmishers.  After  a  short  interval,  during  which  several 
batteries  had  been  brought  up,  the  Confederates  came  swarm 
ing  out  of  their  works,  and  with  boisterous  yells  charged 
toward  the  Union  line,  with  what  seemed  to  be  an  intention 
of  recapturing  the  lost  ground.  The  artillery  at  once  opened 
with  shell,  and  the  charge  was  repulsed  without  the  aid  of 
the  infantry.  Generals  Grant  and  Thomas  were  present,  and 
viewed  the  whole  movement,  which  was  beautifully  executed 
and  elicited  the  highest  praise. 

At  one  period  during  the  day,  and  after  the  picket  firing 
had  in  a  measure  ceased,  it  re-commenced  on  the  right  with 
renewed  vigor,  and  extended  rapidly  toward  the  left.  Every 
infantry-man  grasped  his  gun  and  the  artillery-men  jumped 
to  their  places.  Just  as  these  preparations  were  completed, 
a  magnificent  buck  came  bounding  along  between  the  picket 
lines,  and  in  full  view  of  both  armies.  The  skirmishers  on 
opposite  sides  all  took  a  shot  at  him  as  he  flew  along,  and  he 
passed  the  entire  front  of  the  division  unscathed  »only  to  fall 
in  front  of  the  Fifty-third  Illinois.  The  position  gained  was 
within  thirteen  hundred  yards  of  the  main  rebel  breastworks, 
and  the  28th  and  29th,  including  the  night-time,  were  spent 
in  erecting  the  same  elaborate  protection  that  had  marked 
every  halt. 

During  the  night  of  the  2Qth  strange  noises  and  explosions 
within  the  Confederate  lines  were  heard.  Many  subordi 
nate  officers  in  the  Federal  army  believed  an  evacuation  was 
impending,  and  were  anxious  to  test  the  matter  by  an  assault. 
General  Halleck  could  see  nothing,  however,  but  danger,  and 
since  the  whistling  of  engines  and  noise  of  the  cars  and 
teams  drifted  toward  the  left,  which  was  the  line  of  retreat, 
he  filled  the  air  with  notes  of  warning  to  Pope  on  that  flank, 


CORINTH    EVACUATED.  147 

and  extensive  preparations  were  entered  into  to  reinforce  the 
supposed  point  of1  danger.  It  was,  however,  as  most  of  those 
on  the  ground  anticipated,  an  abandonment  of  the  position, 
skillfully  planned  and  ably  conducted  by  General  Beauregard, 
not  in  the  least  interfered  with  by  the  timid  Federal  com 
mander.  The  campaign  was  ended,  and  the  result  was  the 
capture  of  a  railroad  crossing  —  nothing  else.  The  largest 
army  ever  assembled  in  the  West  had  spent  just  pne  month 
in  moving,  by  slow  approaches,  about  seventeen  miles.  No 
conflict  arising  to  the  dignity  of  a  battle  took  place,  and 
whenever  a  chance  offered  it  was  declined  by  the  general  in 
command  of  the  Union  army,  notwithstanding  he  had  great 
odds  in  his  favor,  and  his  men  were  ready  and  more  than 
willing.  History  has  properly  characterized  the  campaign  as 
a  ludicrous  failure,  in  view  of  what  might  have  been  accom 
plished.  It  was  a  bare  victory  in  theory,  without  any  tangible 
results,  and  all  the  literary  skill  of  the  Federal  commander 
was  needed  to  satisfy  the  public  that  it  was  a  success.  It 
was  fully  demonstrated  in  the  West,  as  it  was  soon  in  the 
East,  that  an  able  organizer,  and  one  capable  in  strategy  and 
logistics,  could  be  a  timid,  inefficient  character  in  the  pres 
ence  of  a  hostile  army. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  May  30th,  General  Sherman,  who 
was  alert  and  expectant,  began  to  feel  forward,  and  Morgan 
L.  Smith's  brigade,  with  which  of  course  was  the  Fifty-fifth, 
took  possession  of  the  first  Confederate  redoubt  at  half-past 
six  in  the  morning.  Some  unseemly  discussion  followed 
between  the  other  division  commanders  as  to  which  troops 
first  entered  the  rebel  works  at  Corinth.  Although  it  was  no 
test  of  bravery  and  discipline,  and  was  only  a  question  of 
distance,  it  may  as  well  be  stated  that  the  gauzy  honor  was 
claimed  by  the  brigade  above  mentioned.  The  correspond 
ent  of  the  Chicago  Tribune  at  least  so  assigned  the  wilted 
laurel,  and  thus  wrote  to  his  paper : 

The  honor  is  disputed  by  Hon.  David  Stuart  of  your  city,  the  gallant 
colonel  of  the  fighting  Fifty-fifth;  and  my  opinion  is  that  Colonel  Dave's 
claim  on  that  score  admits  of  no  dispute,  for  doubtless  he  was  "  thar " 
when  the  deed  was  consummated. 

So  faithful  in  love,  so  gallant  in  war, 
The  honor  is  doubtless  to  our  Lochinvar. 


148  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

The  Fifty-fifth  marched  through  the  squalid  remains  of 
Corinth  to  the  locality  called  College  Hill,  and  planted  a  flag 
upon  the  "  Ladies'  Seminary."  Since  no  ladies  were  in  attend 
ance  at  the  time,  and  orders  were  received  to  return  to  the 
camps  of  the  night  before,  the  position  was  abandoned  with 
out  reluctance.  The  impression  was  general  that  a  period  of 
rest  was  to  follow,  and  the  men  proceeded  with  their  usual 
industry  te  dig  wells  and  beautify  their  camp-grounds. 
Joseph  Hartsook  of  Company  F  had  been  a  short  time  before 
this  detailed  as  brigade  postmaster,  from  which  he  was  soon 
reclaimed  by  his  company  commander  and  translated  to  the 
honors  and  emoluments  of  a  corporal's  rank,  and  thus  placed 
in  the  line  of  deserved  promotion,  which  duly  followed. 

About  noon  of  June  2d,  the  felicitous  dreams  of  rest  were 
rudely  dispelled  by  orders  to  March  in  one  hour,  and  within 
that  time  the  brigade  was  returning  through  Corinth.  The 
intense  sun-fire  of  the  afternoon  was  followed  by  a  rainfall  of 
extraordinary  severity,  and  the  regiment,  every  man  of  it 
dripping  wet  and  bedraggled  with  mud,  bivouacked  about 
four  miles  outside  of  the  town.  The  interval  of  nearly  two 
months  which  elapsed  before  arriving  at  Memphis,  was  a 
period  of  well-nigh  constant  marching  to  and  fro.  The  pur 
pose  of  this  was  not  at  the  time  apparent,  and  is  now  equally 
obscure.  Indeed,  the  wearisome  and  ceaseless  travel  had  no 
purpose  and  accomplished  no  results  worth  considering.  It 
was  simply  blind  obedience  to  the  ever-changing  impulses  of 
the  army  commander,  who  magnified  all  stories  and  camp 
rumors  into  impossible  movements  of  the  enemy,  and  kept 
his  troops  in  commotion  to  repel  attacks  which  existed  only 
in  his  own  brain.  It  is  not  within  the  scope  of  this  work  to 
describe  or  criticise  campaigns  any  further  than  may  be 
necessary  to  do  justice  to  the  Fifty-fifth.  Since,  however, 
that  regiment  suffered  from  intense  heat,  thirst  and  wild 
storms,  and  toiled  and  marched  night  and  day  in  obedience 
to  useless  orders,  some  allusion  to  the  source  and  effect  of 
them  becomes  imperative. 

It  may  be  a  relief  to  the  monotony  of  the  description  and 
give  a  clearer  idea  of  actual  field  service,  to  follow  the  events 
of  the  next  few  weeks  in  the  form  of  a  journal,  the  material 


ITINERARY.  149 

therefor  being  gathered  from  the  diaries  written  at  the  time 
by  Henry  Augustine  of  Company  A,  and  Joseph  Hartsook 
of  Company  F: 

June  3.  Resumed  march  at  daylight,  and  at  n  o'clock  A.  M. 
halted  one-half  mile  east  of  Chewalla,  and  remained  till  next  morning. 

June  4.  Went  along  the  line  of  the  railroad,  three  miles  west  of 
Chewalla,  and  worked  repairing  road  until  evening  of  the  5th,  when  the 
regiment  returned  to  camp  east  of  the  town. 

June  6.  Removed  in  afternoon  to  camp  on  high  table-land  further 
south,  and  the  balance  of  that  day  and  the  following  spent  in  getting 
baggage  and  preparing  camp  ground. 

June  8.  Sunday.  Divine  service  at  10  A.  M.,  in  which  the  chaplain 
officiated  and  preached  from  the  text:  "Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor, 
and  are  heavy  laden  and  I  will  give  you  rest." 

June  ii.  Marched  westward  at  8  o'clock,  and  took  dinner  on  the 
banks  of  the  Little  Tuscumbia;  resumed  march  at  4  P.  M. 

June  12.  Started  early  in  morning,  and  halted  from  10  until  2  o'clock, 
when  route  was  resumed  for  four  or  five  miles. 

June  13.  Lay  quiet  until  5  o'clock  p.  M.,  when  march  was  resumed 
westward  at  quick  time  until  10  o'clock  at  night,  and  regiment  bivou 
acked  at  Grand  Junction;  weather  very  hot,  roads  dusty,  and  much 
suffering  for  want  of  water. 

June  14.  Fell  in  at  sunrise,  and  during  day  marched  through  the 
quiet  little  town  of  La  Grange,  and  went  into  camp  south  of  it  on  banks 
of  Wolf  River. 

June  16.  At  4  p.  M.  started  toward  Holly  Springs,  twenty-three 
miles  south  of  La  Grange.  Marched  through  clouds  of  dust  and 
excessive  heat  for  twelve  miles,  and  encamped  upon  a  beautiful  spot  at 
ii  o'clock  at  night;  water  scarce  and  much  suffering  therefrom. 

June  17.  Route  was  continued  at  daylight;  halted  for  breakfast  upon 
the  banks  of  the  Cold  Water,  and  after  eight  miles'  march  reached  Holly 
Springs  —  the  most  beautiful  town  yet  seen  in  Dixie. 

June  18.  Return  journey  commenced  at  4  p.  M.;  camped  for  the 
night  on  the  Cold  Water. 

June  22.  Broke  camp  on  this  Sunday  morning  at  5  o'clock,  and 
passed  over  a  rich,  level  county,  through  the  village  of  Moscow,  and 
bivouacked  one  mile  east  of  La  Fayette. 

June  24.  Camp  and  garrison  equipage  came  up,  and  the  tents  which 
had  not  been  seen  for  some  time  were  pitched  in  a  beautiful,  heavily- 
wooded  locality. 

June  26.  Aroused  at  3  A.  M.  by  the  report  that  enemy  was  coming. 
Took  down  tents  and  loaded  everything;  were  not  allowed  to  build  fires, 
and  ate  raw  meat  and  hard-tack  for  breakfast.  Started  at  5  A.  M.  on  the 
back  track  for  Moscow,  and  reached  that  place  at  noon.  This  march 
was  the  hottest  and  dustiest  so  far  experienced,  and  much  suffering 


15°  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

resulted.  Not  less  than  fifty  men  of  the  brigade  gave  out,  and  many 
were  prostrated  by  sunstroke. 

June  30.  Mustered  for  pay  at  9  o'clock  A.  M.,  and  commenced 
another  tramp  toward  Holly  Springs  at  2  o'clock  P.  M.,  and  traversed 
eight  miles  in  that  direction  during  the  warm  afternoon. 

July  i.  Resumed  the  journey  early,  halted  on  the  Cold  Water  at 
8  A.  M.  for  breakfast,  and  proceeded  to  Holly  Springs. 

July  5.  Remained  in  this  camp  four  days.  Blackberries  were  very 
plenty,  and  the  whole  army  feasting  on  them  —  an  important  addition  to 
the  scanty  rations  and  highly  beneficial  to  the  health  of  the  men.  Some 
false  alarms  as  to  attacks  from  the  rebels. 

July  6.  Inspection  this  Sunday  morning.  Started  at  4  P.  M.  in  direc 
tion  of  Moscow;  marched  until  n  o'clock  at  night,  and  made  half  the 
distance. 

July  7.    Started  very  early  and  reached  old  camp  at  1 1  A.  M. 

July  18.  Have  remained  in  this  camp  since  7th  instant,  occupied 
with  company,  regimental  and  brigade  drill,  during  which  time  various 
styles  of  residences  were  erected  by  the  men,  which  for  the  first  time 
began  to  be  called  "  shebangs."  At  half-past  two  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing,  struck  tents  and  loaded  baggage,  but  march  was  not  commenced 
until  "  sun  up."  Day  very  warm.  Passed  through  La  Fayette  and  took 
dinner  on  the  banks  of  Wolf  River;  then  resumed  journey  and  made 
twenty  miles  altogether  during  the  day. 

July  IQ.  Reached  Germantown,  a  place  of  strong  secession  proclivi 
ties,  and  in  bad  repute  on  account  of  guerilla  operations  —  much 
plundering  indulged  in.  That  day  was  very  warm,  and  many  gave  out 
from  fatigue  and  heat.  After  passing  four  miles  beyond  Germantown, 
halted  for  the  night  near  large  water  tank. 

July  21.  Having  rested  over  Snnday  proceeded  to  Memphis,  and 
during  forenoon  marched  through  the  main  streets  to  the  southern  part 
of  the  city.  Large  mail  received,  the  first  for  many  weeks. 

This  traces  the  summer  campaign  to  the  important  city 
of  Memphis,  where  a  season  of  comparative  rest  was  at 
hand.  On  July  5th,  George  L.  Thurston,  captain  of  Company 
B,  left  the  regiment  on  sick  leave.  He  had  been  ailing  since 
Shiloh  and  should  have  gone  to  the  rear  long  before.  His 
men  never  saw  him  again  for  he  died  at  his  home  in  Lancas 
ter,  Massachusetts,  of  consumption,  on  December  I5th 
following.  He  came  to  the  regiment  a  stranger  to  all,  and 
left  among  its  line  officers  and  men  none  but  friends. 

Captain  Shaw  thus  relates  an  incident,  alas!  common 
enough  in  the  army  and  therefore  characteristic : 

Corporal  George  Byrns,  a  very  modest  though  efficient  soldier  about 
twenty-one  years  old,  was  taken  sick  shortly  after  leaving  Corinth,  and 


LA  GRANGE    BANK.  I51 

died  in  an  ambulance  near  Grand  Junction.  The  column  halted  about 
midnight,  and  his  comrades  prepared  a  grave  in  the  corner  of  a  field, 
lining  it  with  evergreen  boughs,  and,  having  wrapped  the  body  in  a 
blanket,  laid  it  away  to  rest  with  feelings  of  sadness  too  deep  for 
expression.  The  chaplain  made  a  few  impressive  remarks.  This  was  a 
very  affecting  occasion,  and  is  one  spot  where  my  memory  lingers  as  I 
glance  in  retrospect  over  our  army  experience. 

At  La  Grange  a  bank  was  captured  and  a  large  quantity 
of  unsigned  bills  of  railroad  currency  were  scattered  around. 
Of  course  nearly  every  Union  soldier  could  sign  a  name  in  a 
fair  hand,  and  as  the  inhabitants  could  not  generally  read 
and  withal  had  a  violent  prejudice  against  greenbacks,  these 
bills  became  the  standard  circulating  medium.  Under  the 
circumstances  the  men  were  royally  generous  in  paying  for 
supplies,  and  not  particular  about  prices  or  in  exacting 
change.  This  manner  of  dealing  brought  chickens,  berries 
and  such  delicacies  of  the  neighborhood  to  the  front,  and 
the  men  lived  luxuriously,  while  at  the  same  time  acquiring 
an  exalted  reputation  for  wealth  and  liberality.  How  long 
that  reputation  remained  untarnished  after  departure  there 
is  no  means  of  knowing. 

On  July  1st,  General  Smith  issued  an  order  from  brigade 
headquarters,  which  is  such  a  compound  of  good  sense  and 
badinage  as  to  be  thoroughly  characteristic  of  its  author. 
It  was  as  follows: 

HEADQUARTERS  FIRST  BRIGADE,  ( 
July  i,  1862.     J 

It  has  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  commanding  officer  of  the 
brigade  that  a  straggler  of  General  Hurlbut's  division,  on  the  occasion 
of  our  first  visit  to  Holly  Springs,  was  captured,  and  after  being  shot  to 
make  him  tell  things  that  he  did  not  know,  he  was  turned  loose  in  the 
woods  and  bloodhounds  put  on  his  track.  Anything  further  of  his  fate 
is  not  known.  I  tell  you  this  to  put  you  on  your  guard  against  straggling 
over  one  hundred  yards  from  your  stacks  of  arms.  I  hear  also  a  report 
concerning  some  members  of  the  Eighth  Missouri,  which  is  too  terrible 
for  belief.  It  is  nothing  less  than  an  attempt  to  tarnish  the  good  reputa 
tion  of  their  brothers  of  the  Sixth  Missouri  by  borrowing  their  elegant 
hats  to  steal  sweet  potatoes  in. 

By  order  of  Brigadier-General  M.  L.  Smith. 

I.  C.  HILL,  A.A.D.  C. 

During  the  marches  to  and  fro,  any  plantation  house 
occupied  by  a  moderately  comely  female  was  sure  to  find 


I52  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

protection,  and  its  occupant  courtly  and  kindly  treatment  at 
the  hands  of  the  colonel  of  the  Fifty-fifth.  If  possible,  his 
headquarters  were  established  at  such  a  house,  and  his  per 
sonal  presence  was  interposed  as  a  guarantee  of  good  faith 
and  tender  solicitude.  On  one  such  occasion,  after  Stuart 
had  posted  guards  at  all  vulnerable  points  save  one,  and 
while  he  himself  was  enjoying  the  society  of  the  alleged 
widow,  some  of  the  members  of  that  depraved  Company  I, 
outwitted  the  guard  and  robbed  the  smoke-house  of  some 
hams.  The  colonel's  vials  of  wrath  were  opened,  and  a 
vigorous  and  profane  speech  followed.  Nevertheless,  the 
hams  were  assimilated  and  no  punishment  inflicted  because 
the  particular  offenders  could  not  be  identified.  This  inci 
dent  was  made  the  occasion  of  a  most  atrocious  piece  of 
doggerel  composition  by  Dorsey  Andress,  which  was  always 
after  one  of  the  war-songs  of  the  regiment.  It  commenced 
with  the  following  mellifluous  strain: 

Company  I  stole  a  ham,  whoop-de-dooden-do. 

All  through  the  rebellion  the  Union  soldiers  manifested  a 
consistent  partiality  for  burning  fence  rails.  Nothing  was 
so  perfectly  adapted  to  a  well  developed  camp  fire  as  these 
results  of  colored  industry.  The  Fifty-fifth,  under  the  kind 
teaching  of  the  Eighth  Missouri,  showed  a  reasonable 
aptitude  in  all  such  depravity.  The  "kid-glove  policy"  then 
in  vogue  in  high  quarters,  was  not  appreciated  nor  practically 
applied  by  the  rank  and  file  of  the  First  brigade.  In  his 
desire  to  mitigate  the  lawless  propensities  of  his  men,  and 
being  unable  to  protect  all  the  fence  rails,  Colonel  Stuart 
issued  an  order  that  only  the  top  one  should  be  cremated. 
The  regiment,  ignorant  of  higher  mathematics,  at  once 
assumed  that  when  one  rail  was  gone  the  next  one  was  on 
top,  and  so  it  turned  out  that  all  rails  were  top  rails,  and  it 
took  just  seven  men  to  demonstrate  that  fact  on  a  seven-rail 
fence.  All  this  was  done  by  the  simple  rule  of  subtraction 
and  left  the  colonel  struggling  with  another  profane  oration. 

The  summer  marches  through  Tennessee  and  Mississippi 
discovered  but  little  Union  sentiment.  An  occasional  inci 
dent  like  the  one  of  an  aged  loyal  couple  near  Grand 
Junction  was  as  rare  as  it  was  grateful.  Generally  the  fields 


ENTERING    MEMPHIS.  153 

waved  with  corn  planted  in  accordance  with  the  so-called 
patriotism  of  the  Southern  Confederacy.  On  every  planta 
tion  great  black  patches  near  the  cotton  gins  showed  where 
Beauregard's  scouts  had  enforced  his  orders  of  destruction. 
Houses  were  silent  and  blinds  closed.  The  only  female 
faces  seen  were  tearful  or  contemptuous.  The  black  faces 
alone  smiled  a  welcome,  and  with  many  genuflections  the 
colored  people  gladly  hailed  the  approach  of  the  Union 
flag.  On  the  march  to  Memphis  the  soldiers  were  for  the 
first  time  allowed  to  treat  these  unfortunates  kindly,  and 
numbers  followed  the  regiment  who  afterward  became  useful 
employes  for  a  greater  or  less  period.  No  instance  is 
recalled  in  which  they  proved  unfaithful  or  betrayed  any 
trust.  The  Fifty-fifth,  like  most  of  the  army,  solved  for 
itself  the  true  relation  of  slavery  to  the  rebellion,  while 
statesmen  and  generals  were  groping  and  gasping  in  the 
mazes  of  impracticable  speculation. 

As  the  Fifty-fifth  went  marching  along  the  streets  of 
Memphis  on  that  warm  July  morning,  they  were  indeed 
ideal  Western  soldiers;  not  conspicuous  for  handsome  uni 
forms  or  waving  plumes,  but  the  very  embodiment  of 
disciplined,  self-reliant  force.  They  were  dirty,  sunburned 
and  ragged;  but  their  manly  bearing  made  them  marked 
men  even  in  an  army  so  notable  in  history.  They  bore  the 
impress  of  their  splendid  brigade  commander,  and  were 
manifestly  journeymen  in  the  art  of  war.  They  stepped  out 
with  the  easy  motion  and  swinging  stride  peculiar  to  the 
army  of  the  West.  Every  movement  about  them  was  bright 
with  intelligent,  energetic  life,  and  indicated  that  they  were 
capable  of  doing  what  they  had  done  and  what  yet  remained 
to  be  done.  So  these  men  of  the  Fifty-fifth  looked  to 
Sergeant  Larrabee  and  his  comrade,  who  had  just  returned 
from  wounded  furlough  and  stood  upon  the  side  of  the  street 
and  saw  them  go  sweeping  by. 

After  marching  through  the  main  streets  the  brigade 
bivouacked  in  the  vicinity  of  what  afterward  became  Fort 
Pickering.  To  this  point  also  followed  the  writer,  having  in 
his  charge  various  letters  and  small  parcels  which  had  been 
brought  for  different  members  of  Company  I.  Among  these 


154  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

was  a  black  bottle  for  Tom.  Clark  —  a  present  sent  by  his 
brother  Jim,  and  stated  to  be  full  of  "  Fogarty's  best."  In 
the  mutations  of  its  journey  the  contents  had  entirely 
evaporated.  To  conceal  what  might  seem  to  be  a  breach  of 
trust  the  bottle  had  been  refilled  with  most  villainous 
whiskey  procured  at  one  of  the  clandestine  dens  under  the 
levee  at  Memphis.  After  arriving  at  the  camp  the  bottle 
was  delivered  with  a  suitable  reference  to  the  kind  brother 
who  had  sent  it,  and  to  the  quality  of  "Fogarty's  best."  In 
a  moment  Tom,  Dorsey  Andress  and  a  few  chums  were  aside 
in  the  brush  and  all  took  a  pull  at  the  bottle,  followed  by  a 
contented  sigh  and  smack  of  the  lips,  and  each  pronounced 
it  to  have  the  true  Illinois  flavor.  It  was  the  most  diabolical 
"Mississippi  tanglefoot,"  but  such  was  the  glamour  of  home 
tradition  surrounding  it  that  it  seemed  nectar  fit  for  the  gods. 
For  obvious  reasons  this  pleasant  hallucination  was  not 
disturbed. 

After  enduring  a  terrific  rainstorm,  the  regiment  was 
moved  on  the  afternoon  of  July  23d  to  the  northeast  end  of 
the  city,  and  placed  in  camp  near  the  fair  grounds.  The 
brigade  was  separated  for  the  purpose  of  guarding  the  differ 
ent  roads  leading  into  town.  To  the  Fifty-fifth  was  assigned 
the  new  and  old  Raleigh  roads,  running  to  the  northeast. 
The  camp  here  formed  became  the  home  of  the  regiment  for 
four  succeeding  months,  and,  all  things  considered,  was  the 
most  pleasant  ever  occupied.  Its  recollections  embody  the 
very  romance  of  soldiering.  It  was  upon  the  west  side  of 
the  street,  which  near  by  crossed  the  Memphis  and  Charles 
ton  railroad.  Close  around  were  suburban  residences  with 
their  wide  verandas,  fruitful  orchards  and  beautiful  grounds. 
The  site  selected  was  divided  by  a  small  ravine  running  east 
and  west,  upon  the  south  side  of  which  were  the  Sibley  tents 
of  the  men,  and  upon  the  opposite  side  the  quarters  of  the 
officers.  Both  were  upon  gentle  slopes,  and  among  scatter 
ing  and  large  oak  trees,  while  just  below  a  copious  spring 
afforded  a  supply  of  good  water.  The  fair  grounds  and  open 
woods  just  beyond  offered  ample  facilities  for  drill  and  parade. 
In  short,  the  location  lacked  only  the  skillful  industry  plenti 
fully  at  hand  to  make  an  ideal  camp-ground.  The  tents  were 


A   SUMMER    CAMP.  155 

erected  in  rows,  with  wide  streets  between  them,  and  along 
the  edge  of  the  ravine  cooking  rooms,  eating  sheds  and  tables 
were  soon  placed.  The  fence  around  the  fair  grounds  and 
the  contents  of  two  abandoned  brick  kilns  were  gradually 
absorbed  and  utilized,  and  every  variety  of  "shebang"  soon 
extended  and  elaborated  the  quarters. 

It  would  probably  be  impossible,  and  certainly  unneces 
sary  if  it  were  possible,  to  describe  in  detail  each  day's  events. 
Indeed,  there  was  no  great  variety  of  incident.  Dolce  far 
nicnte,  a  phrase  borrowed  from  a  sunny  clime,  would  apply 
admirably  to  this  period.  A  very  intelligent  officer,  in  writ 
ing  home  about  it,  correctly  gave  the  outline  of  the  summer's 
work  when  he  said  : 

We  have  latterly  been  chiefly  employed  as  an  army  in  confiscating 
contrabands,  cotton  and  watermelons,  getting  joyously  inebriated,  and 
holding  court  martials.  Occasionally  a  regiment  or  two  suddenly  goes 
quick-step  out  into  the  country  in  pursuit  of  evanescent  guerillas,  and 
returns  with  each  haversack  bulging  with  peaches  and  sweet  potatoes, 
followed  by  an  army  of  grinning  blackamoors. 

If  the  above  statement  was  reduced  to  literal  exactness, 
it  would  probably  contain  a  little  less  irony  and  more  sweet 
potatoes. 

The  guard  duty  consisted  principally  in  detailing  one  or 
two  companies  daily  for  occupying  the  roads  a  couple  of 
miles  out,  and  the  twenty-four  hours  allotted  for  that  duty 
were  regarded  as  so  much  time  devoted  to  sylvan  loafing  in 
close  relation  to  the  sweet  potato  patches  around.  Only  a  few 
men  were  needed  on  post  at  one  time,  and  the  large  reserve, 
after  stacking  arms,  proceeded  to  kill  the  time  in  sleeping, 
eating  and  smoking,  with  an  occasional  mild  game  of  draw 
poker,  and  thus  the  turn  on  picket  embraced  within  its  limited 
time  a  complete  variety  of  about  all  the  pleasures  vouchsafed 
to  soldiers. 

For  some  time  it  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  pickets  to  search 
all  out-going  citizens  in  order  to  see  that  the  trade  regulations 
of  General  Sherman  were  not  violated.  This  duty  oftentimes 
had  its  ludicrous  features,  not  always  being  submitted  to  with 
equanimity  by  the  victims.  The  stony  stare  and  frigid 
deportment  of  the  Tennessee  dames  was  far  more  likely  to 


156  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

produce  laughter  than  the  paralysis  intended.  Shortly  after 
this  system  was  established,  Company  F,  commanded  by 
Lieutenant  Parks,  captured  a  covered  spring  wagon  contain 
ing  seventy-five  thousand  percussion  caps,  which  of  course 
were  confiscated  as  contraband  of  war.  Some  other  small 
captures  were  made,  but  as  a  rule  travel  upon  the  main  roads 
adjusted  itself  to  the  code  in  force,  and  smuggling  sought  a 
more  secret  channel.  This  matter  of  search  was  soon  taken 
from  the  pickets,  and  given  to  an  officer  detailed  for  the 
especial  purpose.  Henry  Augustine,  just  promoted  to  be 
lieutenant,  served  for  a  long  time  on  that  duty.  His  suave 
manners  admirably  fitted  him  for  the  purpose,  and  he  soon 
became  a  favorite  with  all  the  females  in  that  region,  who 
were  enraptured  with  his  beatific  smile. 

The  whole  brigade  entered  upon  a  course  of  systematic 
drill,  under  the  personal  supervision  of  its  commander. 
With  such  an  expert,  this  exercise  lost  much  of  the  long- 
drawn  dreariness  often  inflicted  by  the  regimental  officers, 
and  became  quick,  alert  and  interesting.  The  rudimentary 
period  of  "left,  left,  left,"  "eyes  right,"  "right  dress,"  had 
passed,  and  the  time  was  devoted  to  battalion  and  brigade 
evolutions,  skirmish  drill,  bayonet  and  manual  exercises. 
The  Fifty-fifth  was  in  the  best  possible  condition  to  profit  by 
the  opportunity.  The  men  were  in  some  sense  the  survival 
of  the  fittest,  the  companies  being  reduced  to  about  forty 
men  each,  the  most  convenient  size  for  easy  handling.  All 
through  the  summer,  review,  followed  by  exhibition,  regi 
mental  drills,  was  held  Sunday,  upon  the  fair  grounds. 
General  Sherman  and  other  high  officers  were  often  present. 
If  the  weather  happened  to  be  pleasant,  a  large  concourse  of 
citizens  was  on  hand,  and  the  "beauty  and  chivalry,"  if  not 
the  elite,  of  the  adjacent  city,  seemed  to  enjoy  the  military 
pageant. 

Beyond  question  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  and  the  Eighth 
Missouri  were  the  star  regiments.  The  Eighth  excelled  in 
bayonet  exercise  and  skirmish  drill,  being  probably  more 
skilled  in  that  way  that  any  body  of  men  in  the  Western 
army.  In  battalion  movements,  especially  at  double-quick, 
and  in  the  manual  of  arms,  the  Fifty-fifth  equalled  any 


GUARDING    REBELS'    PROPERTY.  157 

organization  ever  in  the  Department.  During  many  weeks 
the  commander  had  his  brigade  assembled  each  evening  upon 
the  fair  grounds,  to  hold  dress  parade.  Each  regiment  in 
turn  was  put  upon  that  duty  under  the  eye  of  the  brigadier, 
who  carefully  watched  all  details.  He  paid  as  much  atten 
tion  to  the  mode  of  giving  the  commands,  as  he  did  to  the 
execution  of  them,  and  his  eccentric  and  epigrammatic  criti 
cisms,  as  each  officer  came  under  his  notice,  were  entertaining 
in  the  extreme.  In  such  a  presence,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Malmborg  was  in  a  state  of  repression,  of  itself  a  source  of 
relief  to  the  officers  and  men.  The  health  of  the  soldiers 
was  generally  good,  though  many,  like  Captain  Slattery,  were 
suffering  from  malaria  and  other  like  results  of  exposure. 
The  injured  of  Shiloh  not  discharged  had  mostly  returned, 
and  a  halting  limb  here  and  there  might  be  noticed  as  the 
result  of  honorable  wounds.  During  the  summer  and  fall 
the  three  senior  captains,  Chandler,  Heffernan  and  Black, 
alternately  performed  the  duties  of  major.  The  river  travel 
from  Cairo  was  unobstructed,  and  the  wives  of  officers  and 
men  frequently  arrived  from  the  North,  so  that  the  presence 
of  ladies  and  the  prattle  of  children  sometimes  enlivened 
the  monotony  of  camp. 

During  the  first  days  of  the  occupancy  of  Memphis,  Gen 
eral  Halleck's  distasteful  order  about  guarding  rebel  property 
was  in  vogue.  In  its  enforcement  guards  were  placed  in  all 
the  contiguous  fields  and  orchards.  Its  unpopularity  ren 
dered  the  execution  of  it  difficult,  and  punishment  for 
violations  generally  nugatory.  It  never  had  any  particular 
effect  upon  the  fealty  of  the  people,  because  they  were  hope 
lessly  hostile,  and  all  favors  to  them  seemed  to  generate 
contempt  rather  than  gratitude.  In  deference  to  the  outcry 
of  the  whole  army  and  the  loyal  North,  the  obnoxious  order 
was  rescinded.  Notice  of  that  fact  reached  the  camps  of  the 
Fifty-fifth  about  two  o'clock  one  afternoon,  and  was  instantly 
promulgated.  It  was  at  the  climax  of  the  peach  season,  and 
within  an  hour  every  guard  was  withdrawn  from  the  orchards 
of  the  vicinage.  Supper  that  night  consisted  largely  of 
peaches,  cooked  in  every  way  the  combined  skill  of  soldiers 
and  contrabands  could  devise.  A  full  knowledge  of  the 


15  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

practical  process  of  converting  by  assimilation  rebel  garden 
truck  into  active  bone  and  muscle  penetrated  the  brain  of 
the  average  Northern  soldier  without  the  aid  of  a  surgical 
operation. 

While  no  especial  pains  were  afterwards  taken  to  guard 
rebel  property,  orders  were  plain  and  positive  against  forag 
ing.  Of  course  such  rules  were  principally  noticed  by  their 
evasion,  a  pleasant  custom  connived  at  frequently  by  the 
subordinate  officers.  Watermelons,  peaches  and  green  corn 
were  plenty  and  good  in  season,  but  they  were  after  all  rather 
effeminate  luxuries.  It  took  something  more  to  produce  a 
continuous  sense  of  fullness  about  the  waistband,  and  the 
placid  state  of  contentment  so  comfortable  to  Western  sol 
diers.  Sweet  potatoes,  by  experiment,  were  discovered  to 
exactly  fill  the  bill.  The  supply  of  that  respected  esculent 
was  regular,  and  usually  obtained  by  the  following  plan, 
modified  to  suit  circumstances:  After  taps  a  dozen  men, 
more  or  less,  would  quietly  saunter  from  the  camp  and  meet 
at  a  designated  place  with  guns  and  equipments.  Some  one 
would  be  selected  for  the  purpose,  and  perhaps  disguised 
under  shoulder-straps  borrowed  for  the  occasion,  would  form 
the  men  into  ranks,  and  the  procession  would  move  in  elegant 
military  order  into  the  country  after  the  manner  of  a  regular 
detail.  Arriving  at  the  field  in  contemplation,  pickets  were 
placed  at  proper  intervals,  while  the  reserve  entered  the  patch 
and  filled  their  blankets  with  bushels  of  the  vegetable  sought 
after.  If  any  one  approached  the  field  he  would  be  halted 
and  told  not  to  interfere  with  the  guard  there  on  duty,  and 
the  planter,  if  he  knew  of  their  presence  at  all,  retired  to  rest 
thankful  to  the  kind  general  who  was  thoughtful  enough  to 
send  a  guard  for  his  property.  Such  a  raid  would  result  in 
at  least  a  week's  supply  for  those  interested  in  the  plunder. 
It  was  upon  such  nefarious  duty  that  the  generally  exemplary 
Hartsook  first  operated  in  the  glory  of  his  new-born  corpor 
al's  stripes.  Rations  were  plenty  and  good  throughout  the 
stay  at  Memphis,  and  when  supplemented  by  shrewd  forag 
ing  often  reached  a  state  of  Epicurean  luxury.  All  such 
drudgery  as  cooking  and  washing  was  delegated  to  happy 
and  unctuous  contrabands  who,  for  reasonable  wages  and 


HERNANDO    EXPEDITION.  159 

good  diet,  and  above  all  a  taste  of  personal  liberty,  served 
willingly  and  faithfully  in  every  menial  capacity. 

As  usual  the  musicians  of  the  regiment  were  much  sought 
after.  Under  musician  John  G.  Brown  of  Company  A,  a 
string  band  was  formed,  which  furnished  music  for  all  the 
regimental  dances  of  the  brigade.  Whenever  the  pay  was 
not  forthcoming  from  the  outside  regiments,  Brown  and  his 
fiddle  always  ordered  a  strike  in  the  midst  of  the  festivities, 
which  brought  out  the  requisite  amount  of  postal  currency 
and  "sutler's  chips,"  and  the  capers  proceeded. 

Occasional  expeditions  toward  the  interior  took  place 
during  the  summer  and  fall.  The  first  of  these  had  for  its 
object  the  destruction  of  a  new  railroad  bridge  south  of 
Hernando,  between  that  point  and  Senatobia.  Select 
detachments  from  all  the  regiments  in  the  brigade,  accom 
panied  by  three  hundred  and  fifty  cavalry  under  the 
command  of  the  celebrated  Colonel  Grierson,  participated. 
The  march  began  under  command  of  General  Morgan  L. 
Smith,  September  8th,  and  at  first  proceeded  toward  Holly 
Springs  by  way  of  Olive  Branch,  Mississippi.  After  a  day's 
progress  in  that  direction  the  column  suddenly  turned  west 
and  swung  around  towards  Hernando,  for  the  purpose  of 
striking  the  railroad  bridge  aimed  at.  About  noon  the  sec 
ond  day  out,  a  half  dozen  or  so  of  the  men,  among  whom 
was  little  Jack  Berlin  of  Company  I,  pushed  ahead  for  water, 
and  while  engaged  around  a  well  were  suddenly  pounced 
upon  by  a  squad  of  guerillas  and  captured.  The  regiment, 
then  a  short  distance  in  the  rear,  was  just  stacking  arms 
preparatory  to  taking  dinner,  and  upon  the  alarm  being 
given  wheeled  beautifully  into  line,  and  Company  A  deployed 
instanter.  Just  then  Grierson's  cavalry  came  upon  the  scene 
by  another  route,  and  the  rebel  cavalry  found  themselves  in 
close  quarters  and  took  to  the  fields,  leaving  their  captives 
who  had  been  prisoners  for  ten  minutes.  Some  bloody 
minded  member  of  Company  A  shot  the  horse  of  the  rebel 
lieutenant  commanding,  and  he  was  almost  immediately 
thereafter  taken.  Grierson  got  a  few  prisoners,  and  the 
butchering  of  the  sheep  captured  by  Lieutenant  Whipple 
was  resumed.  The  skirmishing  on  the  trip  was  considerable, 


160  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

but  attended  to  by  the  cavalry,  and  the  railroad  bridge  and 
its  extensive  approaches  were  entirely  destroyed.  The  trip 
averaged  twenty  miles  of  travel  each  day,  and  the  last  day's 
march  was  twenty-eight  miles.  As  usual,  full  reports  appear 
for  all  troops  engaged,  except  the  Fifty-fifth. 

It  was  known  that  the  rebel  army  was  concentrated  about 
Tupelo  with  strong  detachments  in  Holly  Springs  and  its 
neighborhood,  from  whence  various  raids  were  projected. 
Occasionally  rumors  of  an  attack  upon  Memphis  caused  a 
temporary  excitement  among  the  troops  there.  One  such 
alarm  was  promulgated  in  the  camp  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  about 
ten  o'clock  at  night.  Colonel  Stuart  was  in  the  city,  as  he 
generally  was,  and  the  lieutenant-colonel  got  the  regiment 
under  arms,  and  according  to  his  usual  confused  belligerency 
dispatched  four  of  the  eight  companies  present  to  reinforce 
the  pickets.  The  remaining  companies  he  put  on  the  color 
line,  and  required  them  to  remain  there  all  night,  a  few  feet 
from  their  tents.  As  for  himself,  he  was  willing  to  share  the 
privations  of  the  rank  and  file,  and  to  that  end  had  his  cot 
and  blankets  taken  outside  his  tent  and  placed  full  six  feet 
away  from  it  under  a  tree,  and  booted  and  spurred  like  a 
knight  of  old, 

"  Lay  like  a  warrior  taking  his  rest, 
With  his  martial  cloak  around  him." 

Shortly  after  these  heroic  preparations  were  completed, 
Colonel  Stuart  came  raging  from  the  city,  and  no  enemy 
materializing,  he  fired  into  the  night  air  a  hot  volley  of  curses 
aimed  mainly  in  the  direction  of  the  lieutenant-colonel,  and 
the  camp  subsided  into  quiet.  On  September  loth  the  brave 
but  peculiar  Sixth  Missouri  was  attached  to  Morgan  L. 
Smith's  brigade. 

General  Sherman,  by  some  means  at  present  unknown, 
obtained  a  muster-roll  of  a  company  of  cotton-burning  gue 
rillas,  operating  northeast  of  Memphis,  and  commanded  by 
one  Burrows,  a  whilom  preacher  of  Raleigh.  The  principal 
occupation  of  these  bogus  soldiers  was  to  destroy  cotton  and 
maltreat  citizens  suspected  of  Union  sentiments.  Their 
favorite  rendezvous  was  at  the  crossings  of  Wolf  River, 
whither  travel  seeking  the  city  was  obliged  to  converge  for 


SHELBY    DEPOT.  l6l 

the  purpose  of  passing  that  stream.  They  wore  no  uniforms, 
and  if  danger  approached,  time  enough  to  hide  a  shot-gun 
transformed  them  into  ostensibly  peaceful  citizens  of  alleged 
loyal  proclivities.  On  Wednesday,  October  22d,  the  effective 
force  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  aided  by  a  squadron  of  cavalry,  all 
under  command  of  Colonel  Stuart,  started  into  the  country 
to  wreak  vengeance  upon  the  persons  and  property  of  these 
outlaws. 

The  trip  was  peculiar,  inasmuch  as  many  buildings  were 
burned  and  much  property  was  destroyed  by  express  order 
or  permission  of  the  officer  in  command.  The  cavalry,  as 
usual,  did  the  scouting  and  desultory  skirmishing,  while  the 
infantry  attended  to  the  conflagrations  and  stood  ready  to  do 
the  heavy  fighting.  The  journey  extended  to  Shelby  Depot, 
which  was  destroyed.  While  at  that  point,  some  of  the  men 
engaged  in  the  hilarious  task  of  plundering  a  store  a  few 
hundred  yards  away  from  where  the  main  body  of  the  troops 
were  lounging.  The  colonel,  upon  being  informed  of  this 
proceeding,  immediately  mounted  his  war-horse,  and  rode 
fuming  and  storming  to  the  front  of  the  building.  Commis 
sary-Sergeant  Fisher  was  with  the  motley  throng  inside,  and 
upon  hearing  the  stentorian  protest  of  the  wrathful  colonel, 
sought  to  retire  by  the  rear.  The  complicated  and  disastrous 
evolution  undertaken  to  that  end  was  a  blind  jump  through  a 
high  window  at  the  back  of  the  store.  The  fall  was  severe, 
and  the  sergeant  was  immediately  followed  in  his  flight  by 
the  irrepressible  Dick  Needham,  who  landed  squarely  on  top 
of  him,  and  apparently  expelled  what  little  breath  remained. 
The  injury  was  temporary,  but  the  joke  remained  a  familiar 
"  gag"  f°r  months  after.  Whenever  Fisher  appeared  in  sight 
some  loud-voiced  warrior  would  sing  out,  "Who  fell  out  of 
the  window?"  whereat  hundreds  would  reply  in  concert, 
"Fisher."  This  was  generally  followed  by  a  like  interesting 
catechism  as  to  who  fell  on  top  of  him,  etc.  It  is  difficult 
now  to  appreciate  the  humor  in  such  inane  jokes,  but  the  fact 
remains  that  at  the  time  they  answered  the  purpose  of 
amusement. 

While  on  the  return  trip  the  regiment  bivouacked  at  Union 
Depot.  The  stalwart  and  handsome  Captain  Black,  with  his 
11 


162  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

company,  was  detailed  to  picket  the  road  in  the  rear.  After 
having  placed  what  was  deemed  a  sufficient  number  of  men 
on  post,  he  with  the  remainder  gathered  around  a  large  camp- 
fire,  to  act  as  reserve.  The  time  passed  joyously  with  the  aid 
of  fiddles,  contraband  dancing,  and  the  like.  Late  in  the 
evening,  when  most  of  the  men  had  curled  down  around  the 
fire,  an  enterprising  bushwhacker,  who  had  crept  through  the 
brush,  turned  lose  a  couple  of  charges  of  buckshot  upon  the 
group.  Captain  Black  and  Sergeant  Lomax  each  received  a 
buckshot  where  they  could  much  better  feel  than  see  the 
effects,  and  two  or  three  others  were  shot  through  the  cloth 
ing,  but  no  great  harm  was  done.  Of  course  the  whole 
reserve  opened  a  promiscuous  fusilade  into  the  woods,  and 
of  course  hit  no  one.  The  next  day  the  adjutant's  contra 
band,  Nat,  who  had  pushed  ahead  to  obtain  water  for  his 
"guide,  philosopher  and  friend,"  was  fired  upon  from  an 
adjacent  cornfield  and  shot  in  the  shoulder. 

The  fine  residence  of  Captain  Burrows,  chief  of  the  gue 
rillas  before  mentioned,  was  located  about  one  mile  from 
Raleigh,  and  Companies  I  and  E  were  detailed  to  burn  it. 
Finding  the  wife  and  two  grown  daughters  on  the  premises, 
the  officer  in  charge  directed  the  removal  of  the  furniture  to 
a  safe  distance.  There  was  in  Company  I  an  uncouth  but 
excellent  German  soldier  named  George  Blahs.  He  had  been 
shot  across  the  face  at  Shiloh,  so  that  his  beauties  included 
a  ghastly  scar  from  mouth  to  ear.  As  the  conflagration  pro 
gressed,  the  ladies  stood  by,  alternately  railing  and  weeping, 
calling  the  "Yankees"  ignorant  savages.  Blahs  finally  seated 
himself  at  the  piano,  then  in  the  yard,  and  proceeded  to  play 
with  perfect  ease  various  cultivated  airs.  That  a  dirty,  long 
haired  private  soldier  could  perform  better  upon  the  fash 
ionable  instrument  than  they  themselves,  seemed  to  impress 
the  ladies  with  a  new  view  of  the  "ignorant  Yankees."  The 
regiment  regained  camp  in  due  time,  loaded  down  with  bed 
ding,  books  and  household  gear,  and  all  such  plunder  as  taste 
dictated  or  means  of  transportation  allowed. 

General  Sherman,  in  a  letter  to  General  Grant  about  this 
time,  referred  to  General  Morgan  L.  Smith's  brigade  in  the 
following  terms : 


f  CAMP    ARCHITECTURE.  163 

I  review  these  troops  every  Sunday  afternoon,  and  think  them  as  well 
drilled  and  instructed  as  any  troops  in  service.  They  are  full  of  confi 
dence,  and  only  need  filling  up  with  recruits  to  make  a  No.  i  brigade. 

The  routine  of  drill  and  duty  left  sufficient  time  to  exer 
cise  a  great  amount  of  personal  industry.  Camp  was 
improved  in  every  way  the  inexhaustible  ingenuity  of  the 
men  suggested.  A  neat  log  guard-house  was  constructed, 
and  picturesque  bridges  were  laid  across  the  ravine  dividing 
camp.  The  skill  as  well  as  the  eccentricity  of  the  different 
soldiers  was  most  strikingly  displayed  in  the  multitude  and 
variety  of  quarters  erected.  There  became  nearly  as  many 
curious  adaptations  of  odd  material  for  domestic  purposes 
as  there  were  individuals.  From  the  Sibley  tents,  at  first 
occupied  by  a  dozen  or  more,  one  soldier  after  another 
seceded,  and  set  up  a  house  of  his  own.  Occasionally  the 
tent  itself  would  be  elevated  upon  a  circular  brick  wall,  while 
a  neatly  paved  or  boarded  floor  covered  the  interior.  One 
man  would  be  contented  with  a  rudimentary  shanty,  just  big 
enough  to  lie  down  in,  made  of  stolen  boards,  while  close  by 
an  ambitious  group  were  ever  striving  to  improve  an  impos 
ing  brick  or  log  homestead,  with  symmetrical  brick  chimney, 
glass  windows  and  painted  door.  The  neat  cooking  and 
eating  rooms  and  sheds  along  the  ravin^were  of  course  in 
charge  of  the  fat  and  contented  contrabands,  who  were  after 
a  manner  brevetted  to  membership  in  their  respective  com 
panies. 

The  physical  and  mental  oddities  of  these  latter  were  a 
never-failing  source  of  amusement.  Their  peculiar  dialect, 
their  quaint  stories  and  songs,  and  their  vigorous  prayers 
excited  constant  interest.  Their  undying  and  sometimes, 
alas,  misplaced  confidence  in  the  nobility  and  perfection  of 
the  Yankee  soldiers,  was  curious  and  even  touching  in  its 
simplicity.  In  the  cook-room  of  Company  C  each  evening 
a  number  of  these  sable  menials  were  accustomed  to  meet 
and  engage  in  the  pastime  of  "seven  up,"  when  each  staked 
his  few  cents  or  other  trifling  valuables  in  humble  emulation 
of  the  superior  race.  Bob  Oliver,  always  in  search  of  victims, 
procured  some  damaged  cartridges  and  stealthily  ascended 
to  the  roof,  and  dropped  them  down  the  chimney  upon  the 


164  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

fire  beneath.  There  was  at  once  a  black  upheaval  inside. 
To  the  superstitious  darkies  the  devil  was  in  the  flying  coals 
and  ashes,  and  all  made  a  wild  rush  for  the  door.  In  the 
stampede  a  blockade  ensued,  and  the  order  of  exit  was 
reversed  by  the  rear  turning  heels  up  over  the  front  rank. 
One  excited  gentleman  of  color  ran  his  head  into  a  mess 
kettle,  which  could  only  be  removed  from  the  shining  pate 
inside  by  the  total  disruption  of  the  utensil. 

Many  pleasant  associations  were  formed  by  the  different 
members  of  the  regiment  with  the  surrounding  inhabitants, 
who,  though  mostly  secessionists  in  sentiment,  were  fre 
quently  socially  inclined.  Such  intimacy  of  course  secured 
a  certain  amount  of  protection,  but  there  is  no  reason  to 
doubt  the  genuine  hospitality  and  kindness  of  most  of  them. 
It  is  a  pleasure  to  record  that  these  fair  offers  were  requited 
by  the  uniform  gentlemanly  conduct  of  the  members  of  the 
Fifty-fifth.  Among  the  citizens  in  the  vicinity,  a  Mr.  Jeffer 
son  and  a  Mr.  Temple  are  gratefully  alluded  to  by  the 
members  of  the  regiment. 

Lieutenant  Augustine,  who  had  for  some  time  been  in 
charge  of  the  details  to  search  baggage  on  the  new  Raleigh 
road,  of  course  got  acquainted  with  all  the  citizens  accus 
tomed  to  pass  thal^vay.  Living  just  outside  the  lines  was  a 
worthy  minister  named  Knott,  who  with  his  accomplished 
wife  frequently  importuned  Augustine  to  call  and  stay  with 
them  over  night.  After  some  hesitation  the  invitation  was 
accepted,  and  one  evening  that  officer,  without  leave  and 
against  standing  orders,  went  outside  the  pickets  to  the 
pleasant  domicile  of  the  parson.  After  an  elegant  supper, 
while  the  evening  was  passing,  a  loud  rap  called  the  head  of 
the  household  to  the  door.  Presently  he  returned,  and  close 
behind  him  stalked  Captain  Payne,  a  noted  guerilla  of  that 
region.  Visions  of  Libby  prison,  cashiering,  suffering  and 
unutterable  punishment  rioted  through  the  startled  brain  of 
the  newly-fledged  lieutenant.  The  host,  however,  was  acting 
in  good  faith,  and  the  presence  of  the  guerilla  captain  was 
only  an  accidental  call  for  hospitality.  A  truce  was  easy  of 
arrangement,  and  the  "blue  and  the  gray"  slept  peacefully 


PROMOTIONS.  165 

under  the  same  roof,  and  in  the  morning  each  departed  his 
own  way. 

It  cannot  be  asserted  truthfully  that  every  member  of  the 
Fifty-fifth,  during  this  halcyon  period,  behaved  with  saint 
like  propriety.  It  was  a  regiment  of  soldiers,  and  good 
ones,  but  its  members  were  in  no  wise  deficient  in  animal 
spirits.  Their  exuberant  vigor  manifested  itself  frequently, 
as  in  other  regiments,  by  freaks  of  temper,  riotous  behavior, 
and  boisterous  conduct,  in  which,  as  likely  as  not,  whiskey 
and  beer  performed  a  part.  Under  the  healthy,  robust 
teaching  of  Chaplain  Haney,  there  was  always  a  restraining 
element,  but  the  men  were  not  all  good,  and  made  no 
pretensions  of  being  so.  They  were  healthy,  sturdy  young 
soldiers  engaged  in  a  patriotic  duty,  aloof  from  the  restraints 
of  civil  life,  and  acted  as  men  always  have  and  always  will 
under  such  circumstances.  An  allusion  to  Jim  Watkins'  steal 
ing  the  sutler's  mule,  Bugler  Vaughan's  appropriation  of  the 
quarter  of  beef,  Peter  Ebersold's  returning  to  camp  without 
his  nether  garments,  and  "Betsey"  Sherman's  juvenile 
battery,  will  recall  the  character  of  these  escapades. 

On  September  i6th,  the  long  delayed  punishment  of 
Captain  Clay  and  Lieutenant  Buck,  for  cowardly  conduct  at 
Shiloh,  was  enforced.  They  were  both  Cashiered  with  the 
approval  of  the  whole  regiment.  Immediately  Lieutenants 
Brown  and  Whipple  were  raised  a  grade,  and  Orderly- 
Sergeant  Roberts  properly  promoted  to  second-lieutenant. 
Many  changes  were  made  during  the  season  among  the 
officers,  exact  details  of  which  are  hard  to  obtain,  for  reasons 
before  stated,  and  absolute  accuracy  is  perhaps  unattainable. 
In  Company  A,  Lieutenant  Schleich  was  transferred  to  Com 
pany  F  and  made  its  captain.  Lieutenant  Cootes  was  made 
captain  of  Company  E,  vice  Tazewell,  resigned.  Sergeant 
Henry  Augustine  was  made  second-lieutenant  of  Company 
A,  and  signalized  his  promotion  by  treating  the  men  to  a 
keg  of  ale.  Later  he  was  elevated  to  first-lieutenant,  and 
Orderly-Sergeant  Levi  Hill  to  second-lieutenant.  In  Com 
pany  C,  Lieutenant  Shaw,  who  had  for  a  long  time 
commanded  it,  was  promoted  its  captain,  in  place  of  R.  A. 
Bird,  who  had  resigned  in  June.  Sergeant-Major  McAuley 


166  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

received  his  reward  as  second-lieutenant  of  the  same 
company.  Joseph  R.  Roberts  became  first-lieutenant  of  Com 
pany  D,  and  its  orderly,  Henry  A.  Smith,  second-lieutenant. 
Sergeant  William  C.  Porter  was  made  second-lieutenant  in  his 
own  company,  E.  Sergeant  Vincent  E.  Brink  became 
second-lieutenant  of  Company  F,  in  place  of  John  B. 
Johnson,  who  resigned  September  3,  1862.  Company  H  was 
provided  for,  its  second-lieutenant,  Nicholas  Aagesen,  being 
raised  to  the  rank  of  first-lieutenant,  and  Sergeant  Francis 
A.  Scott  being  transferred  from  Company  I  to  fill  the 
vacancy  thus  created.  It  is  believed  that  John  H.  Fillmore 
became  first-lieutenant,  and  H.  H.  Kendrick  second-lieuten 
ant  of  Company  K,  during  this  period,  but  the  confused 
records  do  not  clearly  state  it.  It  is  hoped  that  the  roster 
at  the  end  of  this  volume  will  correctly  preserve  all  such 
details.  The  names  mentioned  above  are  worthy  of  high 
encomiums,  either  collectively  or  separately,  but  lack  of 
personal  knowledge  would  certainly  lead  to  vague  and 
perhaps  unjust  discrimination  if  attempted.  It  is  proper  to 
state  that  they  embrace  many  of  the  best  officers  of  the 
regiment.  Schleich,  Hill,  Porter  and  Brink  subsequently 
lost  their  lives  in  the  service.  As  in  all  former  instances,  no 
particular  attention  was  paid  to  promotion  according  to 
rank,  and  many  deserving  officers  and  non-commissioned 
officers  were  unjustly  deprived  of  the  places  due  to  them. 

In  the  field  and  staff,  Assistant  Surgeon  Winne,  a 
thoroughly  good  officer,  resigned  to  accept  promotion  as 
surgeon  of  the  Seventy-seventh  Illinois.  Hospital  Steward 
John  T.  Smith  was  promoted  assistant  surgeon  of  the  Fifty- 
fifth,  and  Corporal  Joseph  Hartsook  translated  from  his 
company  to  the  position  of  sergeant-major. 

The  list  of  officers  was  kept  fairly  full,  but  strange  as  it 
may  appear,  few  if  any  had  ever  held  commissions.  They 
were  merely  announced  to  the  regiment,  took  their  proper 
places,  went  upon  the  regimental  muster-rolls  and  were  paid 
and  recognized  as  officers  in  the  army.  By  a  law  of  congress 
the  governors  of  the  respective  states  were  alone  authorized 
to  commission  regimental  and  company  officers.  Appoint 
ments  by  a  colonel  were  at  best  mere  ad  interim,  and  subject 


COMMISSIONS    WITHHELD.  167 

to  confirmation  by  the  state  executive,  who  could  have 
superseded  any  of  them  by  the  issuance  of  commissions 
to  other  persons.  This  anomalous  state  of  affairs  was  the 
fault,  and  designedly  so,  of  the  colonel  of  the  Fifty-fifth, 
who  had  never  informed  the  governor  of  Illinois  of  the 
appointments  made  in  the  regiment,  nor  asked  for  commis 
sions. 

This  strange  and  unjust  condition  of  things  existed  in  a 
good  regiment  which  had  passed  through  severe  battles  and 
hard  campaigns  during  more  than  a  year  —  had  had  some  of 
its  best  officers  killed  in  battle,  two  dismissed,  many  resigned, 
and  many  others  promoted.  The  governor  of  its  own  state, 
the  source  of  authority,  had  received  no  official  notice  of 
these  facts  and  had  not  issued  commissions  as  evidence  of 
legal  recognition.  This,  though  wholly  unprecedented,  was 
not  without  motive  on  the  part  of  the  officers  responsible  for 
it.  The  colonel's  conduct  in  this  connection  was  entirely 
consistent  with  his  whole  career,  and  had  its  origin  in  the 
fact  that  he  had  always  assumed  the  most  despotic  control 
over  the  destiny  of  each  officer,  and  still  wished  to  do  so. 
He  desired  to  make  and  unmake  them,  and  to  supersede  and 
promote  them  as  suited  his  own  ends  or  whims,  without 
interference  from  or  accountability  to  any  superior.  The 
management  of  the  internal  affairs  of  the  regiment  always 
had  been  as  close  and  free  from  higher  dictation  as  the  affairs 
of  a  private  corporation,  and  he  resolved  to  keep  it  so. 
As  has  been  already  shown,  all  promotions  had  been  made 
without  any  reference  to  the  precedence  recognized  by  all 
military  authorities.  Whenever  the  opposite  course  had 
been  followed  it  was  an  incidental  concession  to  justice  and 
not  a  rule  of  action. 

If  such  irregular  and  erratic  acts  had  been  brought  to  the 
notice  of  the  governor  it  would  have  led  to  inquiry  why 
so  many  officers  and  non-commissioned  officers  had  been 
superseded  in  the  line  of  promotion  by  others,  and  why  so 
many  transfers  were  made  from  one  company  to  another, 
without  regard  to  the  rights  of  the  members.  The  records 
in  the  office  of  the  adjutant-general  of  Illinois,  are  very 
full  to  the  effect  that  a  commendable  zeal  in  preserving  the 


1 68  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

rights  of  men  to  promotion  according  to  rank  obtained  there. 
Good  reasons  for  prima  facie  injustice  of  each  change  would 
have  been  required. 

The  lack  of  commissions  was  a  frequent  and  just  cause  of 
complaint,  and  many  meetings  took  place  on  the  part  of  the 
officers  to  discuss  a  remedy.  On  one  occasion  when  the 
aggrieved  parties  had  met  and  appointed  the  fearless  Captain 
Augustine  as  spokesman,  they  went  to  the  colonel  in  a  body, 
and  the  captain  stated  their  complaints  in  a  dignified  and 
respectful  way.  They  were  treated  very  cavalierly,  being  told 
by  Colonel  Stuart  to  return  to  their  quarters  at  once,  that  he 
did  not  "want  any  such  d — d  militia  demonstrations." 

About  all  the  officers  of  the  regiment,  with  the  exception 
of  Captains  Chandler  and  Heffernan,  wrote  at  one  time  or 
another  to  the  governor  on  the  subject,  and  the  record  shows 
an  agreeable  solicitude  on  the  part  of  that  officer  to  do 
justice.  It  further  appears  that  many  commissions  were 
actually  made  out  and  forwarded  to  the  colonel,  who  failed 
to  deliver  them  to  the  proper  owners,  and  made  various  paltry 
and  false  excuses  for  not  doing  so  when  importuned  by  the 
governor  on  the  subject.  From  the  several  letters  on  file, 
the  following  is  selected  as  showing  the  state  of  feeling  and 
the  mode  of  expression : 

MEMPHIS,  TENN.,  Oct.  i,  1862. 
HON.  RICHARD  YATES,  Governor  State  of  Illinois. 

SIR  :  Not  wishing  to  trouble  you  with  a  long  letter,  I  will  state 
very  briefly  the  reasons  that  prompt  this  communication.  The  officers  of 
the  55th  Regt.  111.  Vols.,  of  whom  I  am  one,  have  served,  some  of  us, 
since  the  organization  of  the  regiment,  while  others  have  been  promoted 
from  the  ranks,  and  we  have  not  received  commissions  yet. 

We  waited  upon  our  colonel  (David  Stuart)  six  months  ago,  and 
inquired  of  him  why  the  delay;  to  which  inquiry  he  replied  that  our  com 
missions  were  in  his  hands,  but  that  he  would  not  deliver  them  as  they 
were  not  rightly  dated.  Since  then  we  have  repeatedly  waited  upon  him, 
and  requested  him  to  have  the  mistake  rectified,  and  send  a  new  roster, 
as  there  have  been  a  great  many  changes  made  since  the  first  roster  was 
sent  —  quite  a  number  having  resigned,  some  died  of  disease,  and  some 
killed  in  action.  Upon  urging  him,  he  has  invariably  promised  to  attend 
to  it  immediately,  but  owing  to  pressure  of  business,  or  something  else, 
he  has  failed  to  fulfill  those  promises;  and  I  for  one,  believing  that  for 
bearance  has  ceased  to  be  a  virtue,  and  feeling  a  deep  solicitude  in  regard 


COMMISSIONS    SECURED.  169 

to  the  commissions  of  my  lieutenants,  as  well  as  my  own  —  for  it  is  the 
only  alternative  left  me  —  will  append  a  roster  of  my  company,  as  we 
were  mustered  on  the  3ist  day  of  August,  1862;  hoping  that  if  it  is  not 
contrary  to  rules  and  regulations,  you  will  forward  the  above  named 
documents  : 

Jacob  M.  Augustine,  Captain,  March  I3th,  1862. 

William  F.  Coptes,  ist  Lieutenant,  July  ist,  1862. 

Henry  Augustine,  2d  Lieutenant,  August  ist,  1862. 

Hoping  that  you  will  excuse  this  breach  of  military  etiquette, 
I  remain  your  obedient  servant, 

JACOB  M.  AUGUSTINE, 
Acting  Capt.  Co.  A,  55 th  Rcgt.  III.  Vols. 

Commissions  were  finally  obtained  by  a  course  of  strategy, 
as  follows:  It  was  well  known  that  the  colonel  paid  no  atten 
tion  to  the  details  of  his  duties,  and  invariably  signed  all 
documents  as  they  were  presented,  without  inspection.  After 
the  return  from  the  Tallahatchie,  in  December,  and  when 
muster  rolls  were  prepared,  an  extra  copy  for  each  company 
was  included  in  the  bundle  placed  before  the  colonel  by  the 
adjutant.  This  extra  copy  had  upon  it  a  full  statement  of  all 
promotions,  and  all  persons  entitled  to  commissions,  and 
embraced  all  necessary  facts  to  guide  the  Governor  of  Illinois 
in  the  issuance  of  the  proper  documents.  As  was  anticipated 
the  colonel  affixed  his  gorgeous  sign-manual,  without  thought 
of  the  extra  number  of  flourishes  it  took.  These  surplus 
copies  were  sent  to  the  capitol  of  Illinois,  with  the  request 
that  all  needful  papers  be  sent  to  Captain  Augustine.  They 
were  received  by  him  after  the  battle  of  Arkansas  Post,  and 
distributed  in  the  steamboat  cabin,  and  in  the  presence  of 
Stuart,  whose  fury  was  violent,  but  harmless.  Alas!  poor 
Schleich  lay  dead  with  a  bullet  through  his  heart,  and  was 
not  there  to  receive  the  three  commissions  due  him.  In  these 
schisms  Major  Sanger  and  Adjutant  Nourse  sympathized 
with  and  aided  the  right  side,  as  far  as  possible. 

As  autumn  approached  all  signs  pointed  toward  an  aggres 
sive  campaign.  It  was  well  known  that  large  levies  of  troops 
were  being  raised  in  the  North,  and  that  the  Department  of 
General  Grant  would  without  doubt  receive  its  share  of  rein 
forcements.  Vicksburg  was  the  obvious  objective  point  in 
that  quarter,  and  the  grand  strategy  of  the  approaching 
movement  was  as  frequently  and  intelligently  discussed 


17°  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

among  the  rank  and  file  as  elsewhere.  Among  those  looking 
for  promotion  was  David  Stuart,  colonel  of  the  Fifty-fifth, 
who  had  commanded  a  brigade  at  Shiloh,  and  who  was  senior 
to  all  the  colonels  of  the  new  regiments.  Sufficient  has 
appeared  already  to  indicate  that  his  aspirations  would  not 
be  self-repressed  in  the  race  for  honor.  He  had  lost  by  this 
time  the  respect  of  his  subordinate  officers  and  men,  and  had 
earned  their  contempt,  among  other  things,  for  his  failure  to 
acquire  the  rudiments  of  tactics.  A  very  competent  officer, 
and  one  who  had  the  best  of  opportunities  for  observation, 
recorded  at  the  time  his  convictions  as  follows: 

Colonel  Stuart  grows  more  and  more  unpopular — neglecting  his  com 
mand  *  *  *  *  He  cannot  drill  the  regiment,  and  makes  mortifying 
blunders  on  review.  He  pays  more  attention  to  Southern  ladies  than  to 
his  officers  and  men. 

He  was,  however,  a  favorite  with  General  Sherman,  and 
the  length  of  service  and  superb  conduct  of  his  regiment  in 
the  field,  gave  a  reasonable,  if  not  a  just  hope  of  promotion. 
The  obtrusion  of  Morgan  L.  Smith,  a  full  brigadier,  upon  the 
scene,  had  relegated  him  to  the  command  of  a  regiment  after 
Shiloh,  but  the  arrival  of  the  new  regiments,  and  the  conse 
quent  reorganization  of  the  army,  would  make  room  for  many 
new  brigade  commanders.  Stuart  was  placed  in  com 
mand  of  a  brigade  while  yet  colonel,  early  in  November. 
This  consisted  of  his  own  regiment,  the  One-hundred-and- 
twenty-seventh  and  One-hundred-and-sixteenth  Illinois,  the 
Fifty-seventh  Ohio,  and  Eighty-third  Indiana  —  three  of 
them  being  new  and  full  organizations,  just  from  home. 
This  brigade  became  a  part  of  Morgan  L.  Smith's  division. 
His  promotion  to  brigadier-general  was  expected  and  not 
seriously  objected  to  by  many  of  the  Fifty-fifth.  His  re 
moval  to  any  sphere  not  immediately  connected  with  the 
regiment  was  desirable  as  a  means  of  relief,  and  a  sort 
of  regimental  benison  therefore  followed  his  ambitious 
flights.  Naturally  this  would  be  followed  by  the  promotion 
of  the  lieutenant-colonel  to  the  supreme  command  of  the 
regiment,  which  was  a  matter  of  serious  concern,  and  greatly 
feared  for  good  reasons.  That  officer  had  done  nothing  to 
increase  the  respect  for  him,  and  all  belief  in  his  unusual 


APPEAL  TO  THE  GOVERNOR.         I71 

capacity  had  been  dissipated  in  the  course  of  practical  cam 
paigning.  His  habits,  never  good,  had  grown  worse,  and  his 
bullying,  abusive  and  insane  tyranny  would  have  driven 
almost  any  other  regiment  to  open  mutiny.  It  was  certain 
that  placing  more  power  in  his  hands  would  not  render  him 
less  exacting.  What  ineffectual  means  the  officers  took  to 
avert  the  calamity,  as  well  as  the  atmosphere  at  the  time,  is 
exactly  shown  by  the  following  document,  forwarded  to 
Governor  Yates: 

CAMP  OF  FIFTY-FIFTH  ILLINOIS  VOLS.,  / 
MEMPHIS,  TENN.,  Nov.  21,  1862.         ) 

To  his  Excellency,  RICHARD  YATES, 

Governor  of  Illinois. 

SIR  :  Knowing  your  anxiety  to  promote  the  comfort  of  every  Illinois 
soldier,  and  feeling  that  you  are  interested  almost  equally  with  ourselves 
in  the  general  well-being  and  military  success  of  this  regiment,  we  the 
undersigned,  officers  of  the  55th  Regt.  111.  Vols.,  beg  leave  to  call  your 
attention  to  a  matter  of  vital  importance  to  ourselves  and  the  proved 
brave  men  whom  we  have  the  honor  to  command. 

It  seems  probable  that  Colonel  David  Stuart,  now  in  command  of  the 
Fourth  brigade,  General  M.  L.  Smith's  division,  will  be  promoted,  and 
that  within  a  short  time.  The  officers  of  the  regiment  desire  and  claim 
a  voice  in  the  selection  of  the  person  who  shall  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by 
such  promotion,  if  it  shall  take  place  as  expected.  Although  we  in  gen 
eral  should  advocate  the  regular  succession  of  officers  according  to  rank, 
we  feel  impelled  as  honorable  men,  seeking  the  good  of  our  country  first, 
but  also  anxious  for  the  happiness  of  ourselves,  and  the  men  placed  in 
our  care,  and  laboring  for  the  prosperity  and  efficiency  of  the  regiment 
in  camp  and  field,  to  demand  that  we  be  not  subjected  to  the  tyranny.and 
personal  abuse  which  would  inevitably  be  our  daily  portion  under  the 
command  of  the  officer  next  in  rank  to  our  colonel. 

Our  commanding  officers  have  generally  disregarded  the  principle  of 
regular  succession  in  the  appointments  made  to  fill  vacancies  in  almost 
every  company  in  the  regiment,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  regimental  records. 
We  wish  to  continue  this  disregard  of  custom  in  our  choice  of  the  man 
who  is  to  have  power  almost  of  life  and  death  over  us,  and  upon  whom 
depends  in  so  great  a  measure  our  comfort  in  garrison  and  our  safety  in 
campaign.  We  should  weary  you  with  the  length  of  our  story  were  we 
to  recount  in  adequate  language  the  reasons  we  have  for  praying  your 
excellency  not  to  commission  any  one  to  fill  vacancies  that  may  occur 
among  the  field  officers  of  this  regiment,  until  the  line  officers  are  per 
mitted  to  express  their  choice. 

The  lieutenant-colonel  now  in  command  was  elected  to  the  position 
he  holds,  because  expediency  seemed  to  demand  it,  at  the  time  of  the 


172  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

organization  of  the  regiment.  He  was  recommended  to  us  for  his  knowl 
edge  of  military  tactics  by  Colonel  Stuart,  and  chosen  more  to  gratify  our 
colonel's  wishes  than  because  of  any  liking  or  respect  on  our  part.  His 
disposition  and  personal  ways,  even  at  first  when  comparatively  a  stranger, 
made  him  peculiarly  unpopular.  This  unpopularity  has  increased  with 
time,  and  we  boldly  assert  that  he  has  now  no  friends  in  the  regiment, 
among  officers  or  men,  save  those  who  are  dependent  upon  him  for  place 
or  privilege.  We  have  seen  little  reason  to  pride  ourselves  upon  any 
result  of  his  military  experience,  while  the  discomfort  attending  his  mar 
tinet  discipline  have  been  constant  and  almost  unendurable,  and  his 
abusive  treatment  of  his  subordinates  more  than  man  could  bear  and 
preserve  self-respect. 

Hoping  our  request  will  meet  with  your  approval, 

We  are,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servants, 

HENRY  AUGUSTINE,  2d  Lieut.  Co.  A. 

E.  C.  LAWRENCE,  2d  Lieut.  Co.  B. 
JOHN  T.  MCAULEY,  2d  Lieut.  Co.  C. 
HENRY  A.  SMITH,  2d  Lieut.  Co.  D. 
ALBERT  A.  WHIPPLE,  2d  Lieut.  Co.  G. 
CHARLES  A.  ANDRESS,  2d  Lieut.  Co.  I. 
H.  H.  KENDRICK,  2d  Lieut.  Co.  K. 

A.  F.  MERRILL,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  B. 
DANIEL  MC!NTOSH,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  C. 
J.  R.  ROBERTS,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  D. 
J.  E.  KEYES,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  E. 
JOSEPH  W.  PARKS,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  F. 
C.  M.  BROWN,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  G. 
L.  B.  CROOKER,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  I. 
J.  H.  FILLMORE,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  K. 
H.  S.  NOURSE,  ist  Lieut,  and  Adjutant. 
J.  M.  AUGUSTINE,  Capt.  Co.  A. 

F.  H.  SHAW,  Capt.  Co.  C. 
C.  SHLEICH,  Capt.  Co.  F. 
TIM  SLATTERY,  Capt.  Co.  I. 
JOSEPH  BLACK,  Capt.  Co.  K. 

After  the  return  from  the  Tallahatchie,  and  while  at 
Memphis,  the  following  was  forwarded: 

To  his  Excellency,  RICHARD  YATES, 

Governor  State  of  Illinois  : — 

We  the  undersigned  officers  of  the  55th  Regt.  111.  Vols.  Infty.  humbly 
beg  leave  to  recommend  the  name  of  Major  W.  D.  Sanger  for  appoint 
ment  as  colonel  of  this  regiment,  which  position  was  made  vacant  by  the 
promotion  of  our  late  colonel,  David  Stuart. 

We  are  unwilling  to  be,  and  protest  against  being  subjected  to  the  un 
restrained  tyranny  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Oscar  Malmborg,  whose  hereto- 


THE    OFFICERS    PROTEST.  I?3 

fore  unreasonable  and  undeserved  abuse  has  been  almost  unbearable  and 
rendered  our  labors  irksome  in  the  extreme.  This,  taken  in  connection 
with  a  lack  of  confidence  in  his  ability  as  a  commander  produced  by 
actual  observation,  the  details  of  which  we  can  give  if  necessary  —  we 
consider  a  sufficient  reason  why  his  claim  to  the  position  of  colonel  by 
seniority  should  be  overlooked  and  the  worthy  major  receive  the  appoint 
ment. 

We  would  also  respectfullv  recommend  Captain  Joseph  Black  to  fill 
the  position  of  major,  knowing  him  to  be  a  good  officer  deserving  of  pro 
motion,  and  believing  him  to  be  by  far  the  most  competent  of  the  three 
senior  captains  of  the  regiment,  whose  commissions  date  from  the  same 
day,  October  3ist,  1861. 

J.  M.  AUGUSTINE,  Capt.  Co.  A. 
HENRY  AUGUSTINE,  2d  Lieut.  Co.  A. 

E.  C.  LAWRENCE,  2d  Lieut.  Co.  B. 
A.  F.  MERRILL,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  B. 

F.  H.  SHAW,  Capt.  Co.  C. 
DANIEL  MC!NTOSH,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  C. 
JOHN  T.  McAuLEY.  2d  Lieut.  Co.  C. 
J.  R.  ROBERTS,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  D. 

H.  A.  SMITH,  2d  Lieut.  Co.  D. 
J.  E.  KEYES,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  E. 
C.  SCHLEICH,  Capt.  Co.  F. 
J.  W.  PARKS,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  F. 
C.  M.  BROWN,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  G. 
ALBERT  A.  WHIPPLE,  2d  Lieut.  Co.  G. 
TIM  SLATTERY,  Capt.  Co.  I. 
L.  B.  CROOKER,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  I. 
C.  A.  ANDRESS,  2d  Lieut.  Co.  I. 
J.  H.  FILLMORE,  ist  Lieut.  Co.  K. 
H.  H.  KENDRICK,  2d  Lieut.  Co.  K. 
H.  S.  NOURSE,  Adjutant. 

The  first  action  on  the  part  of  the  officers  was  at  once 
reported  to  Colonel  Stuart  by  Captains  Chandler  and  Heffer- 
nan,  and  he  immediately  sought  to  nullify  its  effect  by  for 
warding  the  following  letter  to  the  governor.  The  original, 
like  all  the  documents  herein  quoted  in  that  connection,  are 
a  part  of  the  state  archives : 


>ION,  \ 

)2.        ) 


HEADQUARTERS  FOURTH  BRIGADE,  SECOND  DIVISION, 
ARMY  DISTRICT  MEMPHIS. 

MEMPHIS,  TENN.,  23d  Nov.,  1862 
GOVERNOR : 

I  am  informed  by  two  of  the  senior  captains  of  my  regiment  (the 
55th  111.),  that  they,  and  others,  were  recently  applied  to  by  some  of  the 


174  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

officers  of  the  regiment  to  sign  some  communication  addressed  to  you, 
in  the  nature  of  a  protest  against  the  promotion  of  Lieut.-Col.  Oscar 
Malmborg. 

This  movement  proceeds  upon  the  anticipation  of  my  advancement, 
which,  they  have  heard,  has  been  suggested  by  the  general  commanding, 
in  an  official  form.  The  new  troops,  since  their  advent  here,  have  been 
brigaded,  and  I  have  been  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Fourth  bri 
gade,  composed  of  the  55th  111.,  the  54th  Ohio  (old  regiments),  the  ii6th 
111.,  the  I27th  111.,  and  the  83d  Ind.  (new  regiments);  this  has  removed  me 
from  the  immediate  command  of  my  regiment,  leaving  Lt.-Col.  Malmborg 
in  command.  Major  Sanger  (on  Gen.  Sherman's  staff  since  we  left 
Paducah,)  is  still  absent,  which  leaves  Col.  Malmborg  the  only  field 
officer  serving  with  the  regiment.  While  I  remained  with  it  we  could  get 
along  very  well  together  with  the  battalion,  reduced  as  it  is  to  only  560 
men;  but  now  it  became  necessary  for  him  to  appoint  some  captain  to 
act  as  major,  he  designated  Capt.  Chandler,  the  senior  captain  in  the 
regiment,  and  one  of  the  best  officers,  not  alone  in  that  regiment,  but  in 
the  service, —  out  of  this  has  sprung  a  feeling-of  dissatisfaction.  Lt.-Col. 
Malmborg  has  been  ill  and  off  duty  for  a  few  weeks,  and  on  battalion 
drill  I  was  accustomed  to  designate  different  captains  to  serve  as  major  ; 
one  day  one,  and  another  the  next,  as  it  might  happen,  and  changing 
them  with  the  view  somewhat  of  practicing  them  in  command  ;  during 
all  this  time  Chandler  was  sitting  on  a  military  commission  and  was  not 
with  his  regiment.  Each  of  these  captains  seems  now  to  consider  him 
self  slighted  and  injured  by  Col.  Malmborg,  in  this  designation  of  Chand 
ler  to  act  as  major,  and  they  have  been  secretly  plotting  his  injury,  and 
with  one  representation  and  another  have  succeeded  in  getting  the  names 
of  perhaps  the  larger  part  of  the  officers  to  the  communication  referred  to. 

Col.  Malmborg  is  a  strict  disciplinarian,  an  exacting  officer,  who 
demands  from  every  officer  the  active  and  complete  discharge  of  all  his 
duties.  There  are  very  few  of  them  who  do  not  feel  pretty  well  contented 
with  themselves  when  they  somewhere  near  half  perform  their  duties  ; 
such  men  are  not  only  not  patted  on  the  back  by  him,  but  they  are 
sternly  and  promptly  reproved  by  him,  and  are  driven  up  and  compelled 
to  do  their  duty.  They  would  like  to  get  rid  of  him  and  have  a  slip-shod, 
easy-going  time  of  it.  It  is  this  vigilance,  zeal  and  discipline,  which  has 
made  this  regiment  in  every  regard  today  the  best  one  in  this  army.  I 
claim  boldly  for  it  (and  it  will  be  conceded  by  the  commanding  generals), 
that  it  is  the  most  efficient,  the  best  drilled,  best  disciplined,  best  behaved, 
cleanest,  healthiest,  and  most  soldierly  regiment  in  this  army.  This  per 
fection  has  not  been  attained,  nor  these  qualities  acquired,  without  great 
labor  and  care,  constant  and  earnest  vigilance.  I  have,  of  course,  the 
reputation  of  having  accomplished  this  amongst  those  who  know  only, 
generally,  that  I  am  at  the  head  of  the  regiment ;  they  who  know  us  more 
intimately  are  well  informed  of  the  consequence  Col.  Malmborg  has  been 
to  me.  It  would  be  not  alone  ungenerous,  but  ungrateful  in  me,  to 


STUART'S    SLANDEROUS    LETTER.  175 

appropriate  any  share  of  the  credit  and  honor  which  so  justly  belongs  to 
him.  to  myself. 

There  was  scarcely  an  officer  in  this  regiment  who,  when  he  entered 
it,  knew  his  facings  ;  they  have  learned  here  all  they  know  (and  with 
some  of  them  the  stock  of  knowledge  on  hand  is  not  burdensome  even 
now),  but  by  dint  of  hard  work  and  doing  their  work  for  many  of  the 
officers,  we  can  get  along— and  do.  They  ought  to  be  grateful  to  Col. 
M.  for  what  he  has  done  for  them,  but  vanity,  selfishness,  and  that  "pru 
rient  ambition  for  fame  not  earned,"  which  afflicts  most  men,  makes 
them  insensible  to  the  better,  nobler,  and  more  generous  sentiments  of 
our  nature. 

I  desire,  frankly  and  truthfully,  to  bear  witness  to  you,  as  our  chief, 
that  this  regiment,  which  has  done  and  will  do  honor  to  your  state,  owes 
its  efficiency,  its  proficiency,  and  everything  which  gives  it  superiority  or 
a  name,  to  Col.  Malmborg — I  owe  most  that  I  know  to  him — the  officers 
owe  all  to  him — without  him  the  regiment  will  in  sixty  days  go  to  obscu 
rity,  if  it  has  no  worse  fate  ;  with  him  at  its  head,  it  will  be  a  pride  to  you 
and  an  honor  to  itself  and  its  state  ;  there  is  no  man  else  in  the  regiment 
at  all  equal  to  or  fit  for  the  command  of  it ;  there  are  but  two  or  three  of 
the  captains  who  are  even  fit  for  lieutenants,  and  few  of  the  lieutenants 
could  make  first-rate  sergeants,  but  we  get  along  with  them,  as  I  said 
before,  by  dint  of  hard  work  and  by  doing  their  duty  ourselves,  or  forcing 
them  to  do  it.  The  simple  fact  is  that  I  know  better  than  he  does  how  to 
get  along  with  these  men,  make  them  do  their  duty,  and  still  retain  their 
personal  regard.  I  have  been  a  politician,  and  he  is  a  soldier,  but  he 
exacts  of  them  their  duty,  and  only  their  duty,  and  that  they  must  per 
form. 

You  will  believe  me,  I  have  no  likes  or  dislikes  to  gratify  in  respect 
of  the  regiment ;  strict  and  impartial  justice  is  the  only  rule  which  has 
governed  me,  and  the  only  safe  one  which  can  govern  us  in  military 
matters.  My  pride  and  hopes  have  been  centered  in  the  two  regiments, 
the  42d  and  55th.  My  more  intimate  relations  with  the  55th  gives  me  the 
interest  in  it  which  a  man  feels  for  his  family  ;  the  men  are  of  the  better 
classes,  and  have  families  of  respectability  at  home,  and  are  worth  all 
the  care,  attention  and  protection  they  can  get. 

As  I  said  before,  this  whole  movement  proceeds  on  the  supposition 
that  my  promotion  will  follow  the  recommendation  of  the  commanding 
general.  This,  of  course,  I  know  is  very  problematical  ;  I  have  not 
sought  it,  nor  have  I  a  friend  living  whom  I  have  ever  allowed  to  propose 
it.  I  have  no  ambition  or  care  for  it.  I  objected  to  my  assignment  to 
my  present  command,  preferring  greatly  to  stay  immediately  with  my 
regiment  and  men,  and  avoid  the  responsibility  of  so  large  a  command. 
If  my  promotion  is  not  realized,  of  course  the  question  of  my  successor 
will  not  come  up  while  I  live  or  remain  in  the  service.  Pray  pardon  me 
for  troubling  you  with  so  long  a  letter  ;  I  do  not  do  it  often,  and  I  wished 
to  put  the  matter  before  you  circumstantially  as  it  is. 


176  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

We  have  this  evening  received  marching  orders  for  Wednesday 
morning  ;  one  regiment  from  each  (three)  division  is  to  be  designated  by 
the  division  commander,  to  remain  as  a  garrison  at  Memphis.  The  rest 
of  the  army  moves  with  200  rounds  and  five  days'  rations.  We  have  in 
Memphis  about  30,000  men  ;  Gen.  Lauman  commands  one  division, 
Denver  and  Morgan  L.  Smith  the  others.  Sherman  returned  this  even 
ing  from  an  interview  with  Grant,  at  Columbus,  but  I  have  not  seen  him, 
and  am  not  advised  of  the  precise  direction  of  our  march.  We  are  to 
take  the  field  again,  and  I  may  not  live  or  return  ever  to  express  to  you, 
governor,  what  is  the  universal  sentiment  of  the  great  army  of  Illinois  ; 
the  high  respect  we  cherish  for  your  administration  of  the  military  affairs 
of  the  state,  since  we  have  been  involved  in  this  dreadful  struggle.  Your 
self-sacrificing  devotion  to  the  cause,  your  zeal  and  interest  in  the  comfort, 
welfare  and  honor  of  your  troops,  have  excited  the  admiration,  and 
assured  to  you  the  grateful  affection  of  the  army.  We  have  no  political 
predilections— no  party  attachments,  which  veil  or  qualify  these  senti 
ments  ;  if  the  voice  of  the  army  in  the  field  could  be  heard,  it  would  be 
such  an  expression  of  confidence  and  affection  as  would  compensate  you 
for  all  your  labors,  responsibilities,  and  vexations.  I  meet  no  men  so 
proud  of  their  state  as  the  soldiers  of  Illinois. 

With  great  respect,  I  remain  very  truly, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

DAVID  STUART. 

RICHARD  YATES,  Governor,  etc. 

Every  instinct  of  justice  would  lead  any  one  at  all  con 
versant  with  the  affairs  of  the  Fifty-fifth  to  indignantly  repel 
the  statements  contained  in  the  foregoing  scurrilous  letter; 
yet  it  is  unnecessary  to  do  so  at  great  length.  Since  the 
colonel  of  that  regiment  did  so  report  the  officers  to  their 
own  Governor,  and  thereby  make  his  report  an  official  docu 
ment  in  the  archives  of  their  own  state,  some  attention  must 
be  paid  to  it.  It  should  be  remembered  that  these  officers, 
so  glibly  vilified,  were  his  own  selections,  and  frequently  so 
designated  to  the  injustice  of  others  entitled  by  rank  to  the 
place.  The  captains  embraced  in  the  tirade  included  such 
men  as  Slattery,  Augustine,  Schleich,  Black  and  Shaw. 
Among  the  lieutenants  shine  out  such  names  as  Andress, 
Augustine,  Porter,  Whipple,  Aagesen,  Brown,  McAuley, 
Lawrence  and  Kendrick.  Several  of  these  afterwards  com 
manded  the  regiment,  and  did  it  better  than  he  who  slandered 
them.  Some  died  on  the  field  of  battle  and  are  remembered 
by  all  who  survive  them  with  love  and  reverence.  Besides 
these,  there  were  dozens  of  non-commissioned  officers  and 


THE    OFFICERS    VINDICATED.  177 

men  in  the  ranks  who  would  not  suffer  by  comparison  with 
the  field  officers  of  1862. 

When  Stuart  for  his  own  ends  compliments  the  rank  and 
file,  he  indulged  in  the  luxury  of  telling  the  exact  truth.  It 
is  a  pity,  however,  that  his  admiration  for  them  exhausted 
itself  in  a  rhetorical  essay  to  the  Governor,  while  we  are  left 
to  look  in  vain  for  honorable  mention  in  reports  and  sugges 
tions  for  their  reward  in  way  of  promotion,  medals  or  brevets. 
It  is  strange,  too,  that  from  among  men  so  meritorious,  he 
who  made  and  unmade  officers  at  will  should  have  such  poor 
luck  in  the  selection  of  subordinates.  It  also  "  passeth 
human  understanding"  how  an  organization  could  become  so 
preeminently  well  drilled  with  only  such  worthless  officers  to 
do  it.  The  regiment  did  not,  as  predicted,  "in  sixty  days  go 
to  obscurity,"  after  the  then  lieutenant-colonel  was  displaced; 
but,  under  officers  of  its  own  selection,  including  some  pro 
nounced  so  worthless,  bravely  faced  the  overhanging  flames 
of  Kenesaw,  did  glorious  work  all  around  Atlanta,  and  finally 
marched  to  the  sea,  then  to  Washington,  and  swept  down 
from  Capitol  Hill  past  the  wise  men  of  the  nation,  with  its 
own  Army  of  the  Tennessee. 

If  there  be  those  who  shrink  from  what  is  said  above 
because  it  seems  to  speak  harshly  of  those  who  are  dead,  let 
them  recall  that  the  history  of  the  Fifty-fifth  is  largely  the 
history  of  the  dead.  If  the  author  of  these  slanders  is  not 
alive  to  modify  them,  neither  are  poor  Augustine,  Schleich 
or  Porter  alive  to  defend  themselves  from  the  charges.  This 
letter  was  a  voluntary  contribution  from  its  author  to  the 
public  records  of  his  state.  It  was  meant  to  have  an  effect, 
and  did  have  an  effect.  It  deceived  the  great  war  governor 
of  Illinois,  and  did  rank  injustice  to  many  men  who  lived 
blamelessly  and  died  heroically.  There  are  other  letters  on 
file  from  the  same  source,  as  bad  or  worse.  All  these  are 
proper  material,  and  may  at  any  time  be  assimilated  by  the 
historian.  There  is  something  due,  also,  to  the  living  as  well 
as  to  the  dead.  This  should  be  a  work  to  tell  the  truth,  not  to 
suppress  it.  It  appears  to  be  a  plain  duty,  as  it  certainly  is 
a  pleasure,  to  vindicate  both  the  living  and  the  dead  from  the 
slanders  of  either,  where  the  good  fame  of  the  Fifty-fifth  is 
12 


I7  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

at  stake,  and  strict  truth  justifies  the  effort.  It  is  esteemed 
a  high  privilege  on  this  the  first  opportunity,  to  tell  to  the 
public  that  the  line  officers  of  our  regiment  were  not  men 
whose  highest  ambition  was  to  "have  a  slip-shod,  easy-going 
time,"  and  were  not  persons  actuated  by  a  "vanity  and  selfish 
ness"  that  made  them  "insensible  to  the  better  and  more 
generous  sentiments  of  our  nature." 

This  brings  the  incidents  of  this  narrative  to  the  closing 
days  of  the  pleasant  encampment  in  the  suburbs  of  Memphis. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

TALLAHATCHIE. —  CHICKASAW    BAYOU. —  ARKANSAS    POST. 

ON  the  morning  of  November  26th,  1862,  the  beautiful 
camp  of  the  Fifty-fifth  at  Memphis  was  dismantled. 
The  cosy  and  even  luxurious  quarters  had  to  be  abandoned 
for  such  cheer  as  could  be  found  in  a  winter  campaign  in  the 
wilds  of  Mississippi.  The  Sibley  tents,  in  use  since  first 
taking  the  field,  and  now  ragged,  colored  with  smoke,  and 
weather-beaten,  were  replaced  by  the  shelter  tent.  This 
latter  consisted  of  a  strip  of  tow  cloth  about  four  feet  wide 
and  six  feet  long,  issued  to  each  man,  which,  when  folded  up, 
made  a  small  roll  of  cloth  weighing  but  a  pound  or  two.  By 
joining  two  of  these  sheets  together  a  strip  was  obtained 
wide  enough,  when  stretched  over  sticks,  to  form  a  low, 
kennel-like  structure,  under  which  two  men  could  crowd  and 
lie  recumbent  during  a  night  or  storm.  They  were  univer 
sally  known  in  the  expressive  vocabulary  of  the  army,  as 
"  dog  tents."  As  for  cooking  utensils,  not  much  was  expected 
at  that  practical  stage  of  the  war.  Every  effort  of  very  able 
generals  at  the  head  of  affairs  in  the  department,  and  the 
ready  wit  and  ingenuity  of  the  soldiers  themselves,  turned 
toward  "  flying  light."  Each  one  on  a  march  had  slung 
somewhere  about  his  person  an  old  oyster  or  fruit  can,  tin 
cup  or  pail,  which  during  the  day's  tramp  dangled  melodi 
ously  behind,  but  when  a  halt  came  was  the  sole  dependence 
for  cooking  purposes.  Rations  were  generally  issued  for 
three  days'  supply  to  the  men,  and  for  field  purposes  con 
sisted  of  smoked  side-meat,  hard-tack,  coffee,  sugar,  salt  and 


l8o  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

pepper.  Of  course  these  were  supplemented  by  whatever 
else  could  be  obtained  from  the  country,  which  was  often 
times  nothing,  if  in  the  rear  of  the  column.  In  quantity,  as 
well  as  variety,  all  rations  were  subjected  to  fluctuations, 
according  to  the  exigencies  of  the  campaign. 

The  usual  procedure  adopted  by  the  soldiers  was  to  asso 
ciate  in  groups  of  two  or  more,  as  suited  their  taste,  and  all 
rations  would  be  pooled.  Of  course  little  bags  had  been 
provided  long  before,  frequently  consisting  of  an  old  stock 
ing,  for  the  purpose  of  holding  salt,  coffee,  sugar,  pepper  and 
the  like,  so  that  they  would  not  become  mixed  before  the 
proper  time.  These  parcels,  writh  other  impedimenta,  were 
apportioned  among  chums  as  they  saw  fit,  and  put  in  the 
haversacks  to  be  carried.  Occasionally  a  man  noted  for  his 
good  nature  and  endurance,  like  Jack  Berlin,  would  sling  to 
his  kit  a  frying-pan,  coffee-pot  or  Dutch  oven,  to  be  used  in 
common  with  his  friends.  Any  halt  would  be  followed  by 
the  instant  building  of  innumerable  small  fires,  and  the  cup 
or  little  pail  would  be  filled  with  water  from  the  canteen,  or 
an  adjacent  water-course,  and  in  an  incredibly  short  time 
each  would  be  supplied  with  strong  coffee.  The  hard-tack 
and  smoked  meat  were  always  ready  for  engorgement,  without 
additional  preparation.  To  the  above  method  there  was  at 
least  one  exception,  in  the  person  of  Heme  Harris,  otherwise 
"Tobunkus,"  of  Company  I,  who  upon  receiving  his  three 
days'  rations  proceeded  to  eat  them  up,  then  and  there,  and 
after  performing  this  phenominal  act  of  deglutition,  would 
pass  the  next  three  days  in  a  state  of  semi-somnolence  nearly 
resembling  that  of  a  boa  constrictor.  In  transporting  blan 
kets,  wearing  apparel,  three  days'  rations,  camp  equipage, 
water,  gun,  sixty  rounds  of  ammunition,  and  shelter,  each 
soldier  was  his  own  baggage-wagon. 

For  war  purposes,  the  volunteer  became  on  the  march  a 
pack-mule,  a  fighting  machine,  and  at  intervals  an  intelligent 
thinker  and  talker  upon  the  strategy  of  campaigns,  prospects 
of  foreign  intervention,  and  the  policy  of  the  government. 
When  occasion  demanded  he  built  bridges,  repaired  railroads, 
ran  engines  or  steamboats,  printed  newspapers,  cut  cord- 
wood,  killed  men,  or  stole  chickens;  and  did  all  these  things 


TALLAHATCHIE    CAMPAIGN.  l8l 

well.  Clearly  the  "kid-glove"  era  of  the  war  was  a  thing  of 
the  past,  and  each  one  in  his  own  way  had  determined  to 
make  life  a  burden  to  the  people  of  the  South  who  brought 
it  on.  The  first  and  most  apparent  result  was,  that  the  con 
temptuous  and  defiant  derision  of  "Yankees"  instantly  ceased, 
and  gave  place  to  a  tearful  wish  that  the  war  would  end  upon 
any  terms.  The  contraband  had  no  pecuniary  value  in  the 
camps,  neither  could  he  be  eaten;  but  the  rebels  called  him 
live  stock,  and  his  stout  arms  could  build  breastworks  and 
raise  corn,  so  there  was  ample  satisfaction  and  justification 
for  seducing  him  away  from  the  alleged  patriarchal  and  legal 
owner. 

About  noon  of  the  pleasant  November  day  referred  to, 
Morgan  L.  Smith's  division  of  Sherman's  army  marched  due 
east  from  Memphis  to  Germantown,  and  stopped  at  the  latter 
place  during  the  night.  The  whole  movement  was  an  ad 
vance  toward  Vicksburg  from  the  interior,  and  Sherman's 
forces  formed  the  extreme  right.  Morgan  L.  Smith's  detour 
to  the  east,  before  turning  south,  was  simply  intended  to 
relieve  the  roads  toward  the  Tallahatchie  of  unnecessary 
crowding.  On  the  morning  of  the  27th  the  division  turned 
south,  and  after  marching  ten  miles  the  Fifty-fifth  bivouacked 
in  a  cotton-field,  where  the  "dog  tents"  were  erected  for  the 
first  time.  The  next  day  fifteen  miles  were  traversed,  and  a 
corn-field  afforded  the  stopping  place  for  the  night.  Just 
before  dark  a  good-sized  hog  made  an  unfortunate  break 
from  the  brush,  and  was  bayoneted  instantly  by  the  men. 
It  was  expected  that  the  march  would  soon  end  for  the  day, 
but  in  point  of  fact  it  continued  for  about  three  miles  further. 
Nevertheless,  the  bleeding  sacrifice,  weighing  at  least  two 
hundred  pounds,  was  carried  along  somehow  in  the  ranks, 
and  arrived  at  camp  with  the  men.  It  is  believed  that  the 
imagination  of  a  moderately  intelligent  reader  can  supply  all 
additional  details  required  to  account  for  the  final  disposition 
of  the  captured  property. 

After  a  march  of  five  miles  on  the  next  day,  the  high 
ridges  skirting  the  valley  of  Pigeon  Roost  Creek  were  reached. 
It  was  known  that  the  main  column  of  Grant's  army  was 
keeping  abreast  some  miles  to  the  left,  and  that  all  parts  of 


182  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

the  army  were  converging  toward  Holly  Springs  and  the 
Tallahatchie  River,  the  line  of  rebel  occupation.  Occasion 
ally  the  distant  firing  of  cannon  echoed  through  the  great 
valleys  and  reverberated  over  the  high  ridges  of  the  country. 
General  Smith's  column  deployed  on  the  high  ground  over 
looking  Pigeon  Roost  Creek,  in  line  of  battle,  and  there  was 
an  air  of  approaching  conflict  in  the  various  preparations  in 
sight.  While  the  Fifty-fifth  lay  stretched  through  the  woods 
in  battle  order,  on  that  warm  autumn  day,  the  chaplain  made 
his  appearance.  Indeed,  he  was  never  far  in  the  rear  if  there 
was  a  semblance  of  danger.  Deeming  the  occasion  a  proper 
one,  and  no  movements  for  the  time  interfering,  he  inaugu 
rated  an  impromptu  meeting.  His  exhortation  was  a  flaming 
war  speech,  bristling  with  eloquent,  patriotic  and  religious 
sentiments.  There  was  no  cant  about  it;  it  breathed  the 
feeling  and  inspiration  of  a  genuine  Christian  soldier.  His 
hymns  were  such  soul-stirring  lyrics  as  the  "  Battle  Cry  of 
Freedom,"  and  sung  in  fervid  concert  they  swelled  out  over 
the  valley  in  noble  pathos.  The  scene  was  worthy  of  the 
Covenanters,  and  was  incited  by  a  broader  purpose,  if  not 
more  conscientious  zeal.  The  enemy  drew  back,  however, 
and  the  patriots  pursued  their  way  to  Chulahoma  and  en 
camped  for  the  night,  to  be  drenched  by  a  heavy  rainfall. 
Sherman's  column  had  gained  a  day's  march  on  the  right, 
and  the  next  day  the  Fifty-fifth  and  Eighth  Missouri  were 
drawn  out  to  make  a  reconnoissance  to  the  Tallahatchie,  and 
the  return  to  Chulahoma  the  same  night  completed  a  march 
of  twenty-two  miles  for  the  day. 

On  December  2d,  Sherman's  whole  line  proceeded  to  the 
borders  of  the  Tallahatchie,  pelted  the  whole  day  by  a  driv 
ing,  cold  rain-storm,  and  Stuart's  brigade  encamped  at  Wyatt, 
a  squalid  village.  The  next  three  days  were  employed,  wet 
and  disagreeable  as  they  were,  in  erecting  a  bridge  across  the 
river  under  the  immediate  direction  of  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Malmborg.  On  the  5th  the  river  was  crossed,  and  after  pass 
ing  some  extensive,  unfinished  and  abandoned  earthworks, 
the  brigade  bivouacked  in  a  pleasant  woodland,  just  at  the 
borders  of  the  valley.  The  One-hundred-and-twenty-seventh 
and  One-hundred-and-sixteenth  Illinois  and  Eighty-third 


SHIFTING    RESPONSIBILITIES.  183 

Indiana,  all  splendid  new  regiments  of  the  brigade,  kept  well 
up  in  this  their  first  march.  They  came  a  year  later  into  the 
service  than  the  rest  of  the  brigade,  had  been  paid  an  addi 
tional  bounty,  and  started  overburdened  with  baggage,  as  all 
new  troops  did.  They  had  thrown  away  their  burdens,  lain 
in  the  fence  corners,  and  been  unmercifully  chaffed  as  is 
usual,  and  perhaps  salutary,  in  such  cases.  Of  course  the  old 
troops  stole  from  them  at  will,  marched  them  as  hard  as  pos 
sible,  bedeviled  them  in  every  way,  and  then  consoled  them 
with  the  cry  that  it  "took  a  bounty  before  and  a  draft  behind" 
to  force  them  into  service  at  all.  They  soon  became  veterans 
and  famous  regiments,  and  when  the  time  came  they  put 
other  raw  troops  through  the  same  rough  process  of  initiation. 
Actual  battle  soon  gave  the  regiments  of  1862  a  chance  to 
offer  the  "blood  atonement,"  and  then  they  belonged  to  the 
great  brotherhood  of  veterans. 

As  soon  as  arms  were  stacked  at  the  new  camping  place  the 
veterans  scattered  over  the  country  in  pursuit  of  plunder. 
This  was  against  orders,  as  it  was  desired  to  do  the  foraging 
systematically  by  detail.  While  a  patrol  of  the  One-hundred- 
and-twenty-seventh  Illinois  was  ranging  the  region  to  arrest 
the  marauders,  they  came  across  Jim  Watkins  of  the  Fifty- 
fifth,  who  had  just  made  a  capture  suited  to  his  grotesque 
ambition.  It  was  a  basket-full  of  fine  china-ware.  He  was 
taken  in  charge,  and  as  a  matter  of  course  gave  a  false  name 
and  regiment,  and,  as  all  thieves  did,  claimed  to  belong  to 
the  Eighth  Missouri.  A  single  guard  was  detailed  to  take 
Jim  to  camp  and  deliver  him  to  the  provost-marshal.  On 
the  way  he  got  the  gun  of  his  captor,  shifted  the  burden  of 
the  plunder  and  the  offence,  and  turned  the  guileless  recruit 
over  to  the  headquarters  guard  as  a  villain  of  the  deepest 
dye,  and  escaped  to  his  own  comrades,  leaving  the  patrol  to 
explain  matters. 

Any  quantity  of  fresh  meat  and  corn  meal  was  obtained, 
but  salt  was  so  scarce  as  to  be  finally  unobtainable,  and  many 
meals  which  would  otherwise  have  been  luxuries,  were  insipid 
and  almost  uneatable  for  the  want  of  it.  Enormous  log 
camp-fires  were  built  at  night,  and  officers  and  soldiers  gath 
ered  around  to  listen  to  some  noted  story-teller.  Quarter- 


184  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

master  Janes  took  occasion  to  perpetrate  his  favorite  joke 
about  the  man  going  to  mill,  upon  Commissary-Sergeant 
Fisher,  and  shouts  of  happy  laughter  rang  through  the 
woods.  These  nights  presented  a  pretty  picture,  when  the 
flames  blazed  out  among  the  trees  and  fitfully  lighted  up  the 
gloom.  Its  red  glare  made  plain  the  faces  of  the  grim  sol 
diers  who  lay  and  lounged  close  around,  and  blending  into 
the  darkness,  flickered  among  the  bright  bayonets  stacked  in 
long  rows  at  the  rear. 

At  noon  of  December  10th,  Morgan  L.  Smith's  division, 
with  General  Sherman  in  person,  turned  again  toward  Mem 
phis,  which  point  was  reached^y  hard  marching  on  December 
1 3th.  As  shortly  appeared,  this  movement  was  for  the 
purpose  of  adding  Smith's  division  to  the  formidable 
expedition  intended  to  capture  Vicksburg,  by  way  of  the 
Mississippi  and  Yazoo  Rivers.  On  the  march  just  described, 
Colonel  David  Stuart  received  notice  of  his  appointment  by 
the  President  as  brigadier-general,  to  which  position  he  had 
been  warmly  recommended  by  General  Sherman,  Governor 
Yates  and  others.  So  far  as  known,  his  promotion  excited 
no  opposition  in  his  own  regiment,  except  at  the  hands  of 
the  chaplain  and  Captain  and  Lieutenant  Augustine,  who 
forwarded  a  protest,  setting  forth  his  unfitness  and  charging 
him  with  disloyalty.  As  to  the  latter  disqualification  no 
actual  proof  exists.  It  should  be  remembered,  however,  that 
the  army  was  righteously  sensitive  about  its  leaders'  hob 
nobbing  with  the  disloyal  citizens.  This,  Stuart  had  been 
injudicious  enough  to  persist  in,  but  his  conduct  in  this 
respect  can  be  accounted  for  by  ascribing  it  to  motives  quite 
different,  and  though  not  especially  commendable,  less  hurt 
ful  to  the  cause.  The  chaplain  was  satisfied  with  nothing 
less  than  whole-souled  single-minded  patriotism,  and  Stuart's 
conduct  did  not  by  any  means  reach  that  high  standard.  He 
had,  too,  a  certain  recklessness  of  speech,  and  frequently 
made  foolish  statements  which,  literally  interpreted,  justified 
the  charge,  but  it  is  not  believed  that  the  crime  of  actual 
sympathy  with  rebellion  can  fairly  be  sustained  by  evidence. 
As  is  now  well  known,  this  promotion  resulted  soon  in 
Stuart's  complete  discomfiture  through  the  failure  of  the 


DIVISION    TRAIN    CAPTURED.  185 

Senate  to  confirm  his  appointment.  When  that  took  place, 
the  contest  in  which  he  sought  with  his  brilliant  talents  to 
win  success,  seems  to  have  been  given  up,  and  a  defeated 
and  deeply  disappointed  man,  he  dropped  into  obscurity. 
It  is  probable  that  social  causes  existing  in  Chicago,  and 
having  powerful  ramifications  in  the  state  of  New  York, 
mainly  caused  his  rejection  by  the  United  States  Senate. 

Upon  the  return  to  Memphis,  learning  of  the  petition  for 
the  promotion  of  Sanger  and  Black,  the  late  colonel,  then 
general  and  soon  to  be  Mr.  Stuart,  forwarded  another  urgent 
letter  to  Governor  Yates,  asking  for  the  promotion  of  the 
lieutenant-colonel,  and  making^  the  point  that  he  was  first 
in  the  line  of  promotion.  This  seems  to  have  been  a  new 
revelation,  for  he  had  never  observed  that  rule  himself, 
except  by  accident.  This  anxiety  for  the  immediate  receipt 
of  commissions  for  the  colonel  and  major,  seems  also  to  have 
been  a  new-born  zeal,  for  he  had  never  asked  for  the  com 
mission  of  a  line  officer,  and  had  persistently  refused  to 
deliver  those  voluntarily  sent  him  by  the  Governor.  The 
missive  sent  at  this  time  pronounces  Captains  Chandler  and 
Heffernan  to  be  "by  far  the  best  officers  in  the  regiment," 
and  reiterates  the  sweeping  abuse  of  the  former  letter  as  to 
all  of  the  others. 

When  the  Fifty-fifth  arrived  at  the  beautiful  camp  aban 
doned  on  NovenTber  26th,  it  was  found  occupied  by  other 
troops,  and  the  shelter  tents  were  erected  upon  a  bare  slope 
further  toward  the  river.  Everything  betokened  the  con 
centration  of  a  large  army  and  a  speedy  movement.  The 
regiment  was  mustered  and  received  pay  for  July  and 
August.  It  was  at  this  time  that  extra  muster  rolls  were 
obtained  to  send  to  the  Governor  for  commissions,  as  before 
stated.  One  day  nearly  all  the  mule  teams  of  the  division 
were  sent  into  the  country  toward  Wolf  River  for  wood. 
They  were  without  an  escort,  and  had  with  them  only  a  few 
men  detailed  to  load  wood,  and  without  arms.  A  company 
of  guerillas  swooped  down  upon  them,  and  without  a  single 
casualty  captured  all  the  men  and  mules,  and  abandoning 
the  wagons  mounted  the  prisoners  upon  the  animals  and 
struck  for  the  interior.  At  Germantown  they  paroled  the 


l86  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

men,  who  returned  the  next  day  crest-fallen  enough.  A 
sweeping  impressment  supplied  the  place  of  the  missing 
animals  in  a  few  hours.  Such  matters  do  not  get  into  military 
reports,  because  they  are  evidences  of  carelessness  —  hence 
the  above  loss  of  fifty  or  sixty  thousand  dollars'  worth  of 
property,  when  the  detail  of  a  single  company  from  the  fifteen 
or  twenty  thousand  men  present  would  have  prevented  it- 
is  not  related  in  the  reports  of  the  war. 

On  Sunday,  December  2Oth,  the  Fifty-fifth  went  early  in 
the  day  to  the  steamboat  landing,  and  on  board  the  fine 
transport  Westmoreland,  which  was  also  headquarters  for  the 
brigade  commander  and  staff.  The  day  was  spent  in  loading 
baggage  and  getting  on  board  the  men  too  drunk  to  exercise 
locomotion.  This  last  unpleasant  duty  was  attended  to  by 
Captain  Shaw,  who  narrowly  escaped  serious  stabbing  at  the 
hands  of  a  reckless  character.  The  next  morning  Helena, 
Arkansas,  was  passed,  and  the  fleet  pulled  up  at  Friars  Point 
until  the  next  day.  The  troops  were  taken  on  shore,  and 
some  uncertain  attempts  made  at  battalion  drill,  which  were 
intended  as  exercise,  and  the  transports  were  meantime 
thoroughly  policed.  At  this  place  the  large  division  of  Gen 
eral  Steele  joined  the  command,  and  by  an  order  soon  issued 
became  the  First  division  of  the  celebrated  Fifteenth  Army 
Corps  —  the  division  to  which  the  Fifty-fifth  was  attached 
retaining  the  title  of  Second  division,  a  flame  entitled  to 
imperishable  honors.  Indeed,  the  order  creating  corps 
organizations  had  already  been  issued  at  Washington,  but 
did  not  reach  this  portion  of  the  afflicted  republic  until  after 
the  battle  of  Arkansas  Post.  About  noon,  December  22d, 
the  Planet,  having  on  board  the  Eighth  Missouri,  closely 
followed  by  the  Westmoreland  with  the  Fifty-fifth,  swung 
loose  from  the  river  bank  and  started  down  stream. 

Here  again  there  stretched  out  before  the  beholder  one  of 
those  grand  military  panoramas  never  seen  except  upon  the 
great  inland  waters.  The  swift  flowing  and  majestic  Missis 
sippi  was  again  troubled  by  the  restless  throbs  of  a  great 
fleet,  bound  upon  a  historic  errand ;  a  mighty  array  of  men 
that  kept  restlessly  pounding  along  its  forest-covered  shores, 
until  the  river  itself  flowed  "unvexed  to  the  sea."  To  that 


DOWN    THE    MISSISSIPPI.  187 

end  these  sturdy  men  of  the  Northwest,  under  leaders  they 
had  helped  teach  in  the  art  of  war,  waded  swamps,  climbed 
rugged  hills,  dug  trenches,  stormed  breastworks  and  fought 
the  battles  of  a  campaign  now  gloriously  conspicuous  in  the 
history  of  the  worloL  They  so  wrought  that  the  Confederacy, 
like  the  vail  of  the  temple,  was  rent  in  twain,  and  from  thence 
they  turned  toward  other  and  distant  fields  of  conquest. 
They  carried  into  use  all  the  existing  arts  of  war,  discovered 
new  principles  and  invented  new  theories  and  applied  them 
to  the  practical  purpose  of  saving  a  great  republic ;  and 
when  they  had  done,  they  left  the  Union  safe  and  the  science 
of  war  enriched  by  a  multitude  of  valuable  discoveries. 

On  the  night  of  the  23d  of  December  the  Fifty-fifth,  with 
the  Fifty-seventh  Ohio,  landed  and  marched  eight  miles,  but 
the  trip  was  barren  of  results,  if  any  were  expected.  From 
time  to  time  the  fleet  turned  inshore  to  obtain  fuel  captured 
from  wood-yards,  cut  from  the  forest,  made  from  fence-rails 
and  old  buildings,  as  the  emergency  demanded.  These 
occasions  were  enlivened  by  the  exercise  of  the  foraging 
propensities  of  the  men.  There  was  little  official  interfer 
ence  with  this,  and  when  the  zeal  of  the  new-made  brigadier 
induced  him  to  interpose  on  one  occasion,  an  indelicate  allu 
sion  by  a  member  of  the  Eighth  Missouri  to  one  of  Stuart's 
notable  conquests  at  the  court  of  Venus,  quickly  suppressed 
further  effort  in  that  quarter. 

On  Christmas  day  of  1862,  Milliken's  Bend  was  reached, 
and  from  there  the  first  view  of  the  frowning  heights  of 
Vicksburg  was  obtained.  It  presented  nothing  visible  to  the 
naked  eye  at  that  distance  but  a  compressed  appearance  of 
high  bluffs,  upon  which  sat  the  dome  of  the  court  house  in 
silent  watch.  With  the  aid  of  field-glasses  it  could  be  seen 
that  the  rugged  hills  were  seamed  and  scarred  with  massive 
earth-works  and  garnished  with  abundant  artillery. 

During  the  forenoon  of  the  next  day  the  perspicuous 
orders  of  the  commanding  general  were  promulgated,  and  at 
noon  the  entire  expedition,  preceded  by  a  convoy  of  gun 
boats,  steamed  up  Old  River  into  the  Yazoo,  and  at  the  end 
of  thirteen  miles  Morgan  L.  Smith's  division  tied  up  at  John 
ston's  Plantation,  its  assigned  place  of  debarkation.  On  the 


l88  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

morning  of  the  27th,  the  army  of  thirty  thousand  men  began 
to  untangle  itself  from  the  seeming  confusion  of  the  landing, 
and  each  of  its  units  sought  the  place  designated  for  it  in  the 
contemplated  assault.  The  Second  division,  led  by  that  of 
Steele,  unwound  across  the  bottom  and  £>ld  fields,  and  after 
tramping  through  a  huge  growth  of  cockle  burs,  reached  the 
forest  further  back,  which  was  wild  with  the  luxuriance  of 
semi-tropical  vegetation,  through  which  the  column  slowly 
pushed  its  way.  As  is  necessary  and  inevitable  on  all  such 
occasions,  when  the  enemy  are  known  to  be  concealed  not 
far  away,  halts  were  frequent.  During  one  of  these  a  musket 
was  discharged,  and  an  unearthly  howl  went  up  from  the 
ranks  of  Company  D.  This  volume  of  noise  issued  from 
thedumpy  form  of  "little  Chris"  of  that  company,  who  had 
accidentally  discharged  his  gun  while  sitting  upon  a  log, 
barked  the  end  of  his  pug  nose,  blown  the  visor  of  his  cap 
to  pieces,  and  was  left  firmly  convinced  that  his  whole  head 
was  gone.  He  soon  regained  his  wonted  stolidity,  and  took 
his  place  in  the  ranks  under  a  fire  of  humorous  remarks  from 
his  comrades. 

Shortly  after  noon  firing  was  heard  at  the  front,  which 
indicated  that  the  head  of  the  column  had  run  against  the 
advance  of  the  enemy.  After  waiting  some  time,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Malmborg,  who  had  gone  ahead,  came  ambling 
back  on  "Charley,"  as  though  he  was  the  bearer  of  good 
tidings,  and  announced  that  he  had  obtained  for  the  Fifty- 
fifth  the  privilege  of  going  in  advance  to  open  the  battle. 
This  unappreciated  call  to  honor  was  obeyed  by  the  regiment, 
led  on  by  the  graceful  equestrian  who  commanded  it,  and 
passing  through  the  woods  and  by  the  throngs  of  soldiers  who 
filled  the  road,  until  the  head  of  the  line  was  reached.  Here 
in  the  edge  of  the  timber  was  a  bayou,  on  the  other  side  of 
which  the  rebel  skirmishers  had  been  found  posted.  The 
Fifty-eighth  Ohio,  a  splendid  German  regiment  of  about  four 
hundred  men,  belonging  to  Steele's  division,  was  already 
engaged  in  crossing  and  deploying  on  the  other  side.  At 
the  head  of  the  line,  halted  and  at  order  arms,  stretched  the 
long  ranks  of  the  Thirteenth  Illinois,  which,  although  the 
senior  regiment  from  the  Prairie  State,  had  not  yet  lost  a 


CHICKASAW    BAYOU.  189 

man  in  battle.  Under  a  grove  of  trees  near  by,  intently 
watching  the  proceedings,  sat  upon  horseback  Generals 
Sherman,  Steele,  Stuart,  A.  J.  Smith,  Blair,  and  other  star- 
bespangled  soldiers  of  note.  As  the  Fifty-fifth  approached 
the  bayou,  over  which  it  was  necessary  to  cross  by  travers 
ing  a  log,  the  rich  voices  of  Company  I,  led  by  its  brave 
Orderly-Sergeant  Ebersold,  rang  out  with  the  opening  stanza 
of  the  Battle  Cry  of  Freedom.  The  whole  regiment  took  up 
the  anthem,  and  a  strain  of  soul-stirring  music  swelled  out 
into  the  vaults  of  the  forest  in  a  magnificent  volume  of  mel 
ody.  The  generals  forgot  their  momentous  councils  and 
turned  curiously  and  admiringly  to  watch  the  little  line  as  it 
disappeared  into  the  tangled  thickets  to  open  the  battle  of 
Chickasaw  Bayou. 

When  once  across  the  stream  —  through  which  poor  "Char 
ley"  had  to  swim  —  the  Fifty-fifth  and  the  Fifty-eighth  were 
in  a  measure  separated  from  the  army,  and  the  command  of 
the  advance  fell  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Malmborg,  who  was 
the  senior  officer  present.  The  Fifty-eighth  was  already  de 
ployed,  and  the  Fifty-fifth  was  massed  in  reserve,  close  up. 
From  the  latter,  companies  were  taken  from  time  to  time  to 
strengthen  or  extend  the  skirmish  line,  and  the  slow  process 
of  pushing  back  the  rebel  advance  through  the  dense,  swampy 
woods,  next  ensued.  During  the  afternoon  this  was  accom 
plished,  and  just  before  dark  the  Federal  line  reached  the 
main,  or  Chickasaw  Bayou,  along  which  the  battle  was  fought. 
The  Fifty-fifth  being  mainly  in  support  met  with  no  loss,  but 
the  Fifty-eighth  had  several  struck,  including  one  captain 
killed.  The  rebels  retired  to  the  southern  bank  of  the  stream 
and  stopped  behind  the  levee,  a  splendid  protection,  from 
which  they  kept  up  an  angry  fire  of  musketry. 

The  body  of  the  regiment  had  advanced  during  the  after 
noon,  formed  in  "column  by  file,"  a  movement  originating 
somewhere  among  the  tactical  reminiscences  of  the  lieuten 
ant-colonel,  and  unknown  in  the  books  in  use.  It  consisted 
in  advancing  the  color-guard  to  the  front,  when  the  two 
wings  of  the  regiment  doubled  in  behind,  making  a  sort  of 
flank  march  in  ranks  of  eight  men  deep.  From  this  unique 
formation  some  companies  had  been  taken  to  strengthen  the 


190  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

front,  leaving  the  remainder  of  the  regiment  standing  irregu 
larly  and  disconnected,  like  the  pieces  on  a  checker-board. 
About  dark,  while  the  men  were  halted  in  this  awkward  posi 
tion,  a  sudden  fusilade  of  the  enemy  very  nearly  caused  a 
stampede  to  the  rear ;  but  this  was  quickly  controlled  by  the 
strenuous  efforts  of  the  line  officers,  who  then  marched  their 
men  into  line  of  battle,  independent  of  any  order  from  the 
regimental  commander.  Just  in  front,  perhaps  fifty  yards 
away,  the  intervening  space  being  greatly  obstructed  with 
fallen  timber,  was  Chickasaw  Bayou.  Behind  it,  and  less 
than  one  hundred  yards  distant,  lay  the  enemy.  To  their 
rear  was  three-quarters  of  a  mile  of  swampy  bottom,  and 
then  the  frowning  Walnut  Hills,  terraced  all  over  their 
sides  with  innumerable  rifle-pits  and  intrenchments.  Still 
beyond  were  the  great  billows  of  eroded  ridges,  stretching 
to  the  main  works  of  Vicksburg,  five  or  six  miles  away. 

When  the  regiment  disembarked  in  the  forenoon,  Dick 
Needham,  an  Irishman  of  Company  I,  was  in  a  glorious  state 
of  bibulous  exaltation,  and  as  became  his  race,  was  belliger 
ent  in  the  extreme.  During  the  afternoon  he  had  to  be 
placed  under  restraint  to  prevent  him  from  instituting  an 
individual  assault  upon  his  own  sole  responsibility.  He 
called  his  comrades  all  cowards  for  moving  so  slowly,  and 
loudly  proclaimed  in  rich  brogue  that  he  could  "whip  the 

whole  d d  scrape  of  'em"  alone.     After  arriving  at  the 

main  bayou  Dick  had  neither  whiskey  nor  water  left,  and  his 
consuming  thirst  became  unbearable.  There  was  no  place  to 
obtain  water  except  at  the  bayou,  not  fifty  yards  in  front  of 
the  rebel  line  behind  the  levee,  but  Dick  was  bound  to  take 
the  risk.  The  patience  of  the  lieutenant  in  command  was 
finally  exhausted  at  his  persistence,  and  remonstrance  ceas 
ing  the  reckless  soldier  loaded  himself  down  with  canteens 
and  started  on  his  perilous  adventure.  He  immediately 
commenced  stumbling  over  brush  and  logs  in  the  dense 
darkness,  whereat  his  profanity  waxed  vigorous  and  voluble, 
all  of  which  drew  the  fire  of  the  rebel  line  in  his  direction, 
but  unscathed  he  reached  the  water's  edge  and  deliberately 
filled  the  dozen  or  so  canteens  he  had  with  him.  When  done 
he  sat  down  and  opened  the  vials  of  his  wrath  upon  the  foe. 
Above  the  noise  of  their  volleys  Dick's  rich  Irish  voice  could 


GENERAL    SMITH    WOUNDED. 

be  heard  as  he  yelled,  "Come  out  av  yer  holes,  ye  bloody 
ribils,  and  I'll  lick  the  whole  d d  scrape  of  yez!"  Find 
ing  they  would  not  accept  his  challenge,  he  returned  unhurt, 
and  distributed  the  canteens  of  water  to  the  owners,  and 
dropped  down  on  the  ground  to  sleep,  muttering  anathemas 
at  the  enemy  who  would  not  come  out  of  their  holes  while 
he  "licked  the  whole  d d  scrape  of  'em." 

At  four  o'clock  the  next  morning,  and  long  before  a  single 
ray  of  light  had  penetrated  the  foggy  atmosphere,  a  battery 
which  had  come  up  during  the  night  was  placed  in  a  belliger 
ent  position  by  Malmborg.  The  occasion  was  one  for  inde 
pendent  action,  and  neither  the  intense  darkness  nor  want  of 
an  object  to  fire  at  was  an  obstacle  to  his  vaulting  ambition. 
Notwithstanding  the  impassable  bayou  was  between  the 
battery  and  the  rebel  skirmish  line,  it  must  be  supported 
according  to  rule,  and  the  Fifty-fifth  was  dragged  through 
the  brush  and  impenetrable  gloom,  and  massed  in  two  lines 
close  behind  the  artillery.  This  done,  a  fire  of  six  pound 
missiles  was  opened  upon  the  Southern  Confederacy  on  gen 
eral  principles.  Malmborg  in  command,  walked  back  and 
forth  among  the  guns,  giving  directions  about  the  length  of 
fuse,  which  made  but  little  difference  since  the  location  of  a 
single  position  of  the  enemy  was  not  known.  Of  course  the 
Federal  position  was  lighted  up  by  the  fires  of  the  ridiculous 
bombardment,  and  a  few  shells  were  returned.  Some  very 
narrow  escapes  there  were,  but  fortunately  no  casualties. 
With  daylight  came  other  troops  and  superior  officers,  and 
the  useless  noise  ceased  with  the  relegation  of  Malmborg  to 
his  proper  command. 

The  division  commander,  Morgan  L.  Smith,  soon  rode  by 
the  right  of  the  regiment  toward  the  front,  accompanied  by 
a  single  orderly.  As  he  passed  a  group  of  officers  by  the 
Fifty-fifth,  they  called  his  attention  to  the  dangerous  prox 
imity  of  the  Confederate  sharp-shooters.  To  this  he  made 
some  facetious  reply,  and  proceeded  to  the  edge  of  the  brush 
that  fringed  the  slashed  timber,  took  out  his  glass  and  began 
to  look  into  the  lifting  fog  to  get  a  view  across  the  bayou. 
All  this  happened  near  by  and  in  plain  view  of  the  group  of 
officers  before  alluded  to.  -Presently  he  put  up  his  glass, 
calmly  reined  his  horse  to  the  rear  and  returned  as  he  came. 


192  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

As  he  went  by  where  the  troops  were  standing  he  gave  some 
pungent  and  profane  directions,  and  disappeared  in  the 
woods  at  the  rear.  He  had,  while  looking  through  his  glass, 
been  shot  by  a  rebel  sharp-shooter,  the  bullet  striking  him 
near  the  top  of  the  hip  bone  and  ranging  across  the  back  to 
the  spine ;  yet  such  was  his  splendid  nerve  that  the  wound, 
almost  mortal,  did  not  cause  a  tremor  of  the  voice.  He  fell 
from  his  horse  when  out  of  sight  of  his  men,  and  was  carried 
to  the  boats.  He  never  recovered  entirely  from  the  injury. 
This  deprived  the  army  of  the  services  of  a  very  valuable 
officer,  which  fact  is  deeply  deplored  by  the  commanding 
general  in  his  report.  General  Stuart,  by  virtue  of  his  rank, 
assumed  command  of  the  division,  but  was  soon  placed  under 
control  of  General  A.  J.  Smith,  whose  troops  were  on  the 
right. 

Chickasaw  Bayou  followed  in  sinuous  way  from  the  Yazoo 
above  in  a  southwesterly  direction  several  miles  to  the  Mis 
sissippi  below.  It  was  impassable,  except  at  two  points.  One 
of  these  was  a  narrow  sand-bar  in  front  of  the  Second  division. 
On  the  side  of  the  Federals  this  crossing  was  protected  by 
an  abatis  of  thickly  fallen  timber,  the  interlocked  trunks  and 
limbs  being  covered  with  festoons  of  Spanish  moss.  On  the 
opposite  side  was  an  impracticable  bank,  surmounted  by  a 
levee,  which  formed  a  perfect  parapet  for  the  foe.  The  prob 
lem  was  to  cross  this  bayou  in  the  face  of  these  obstacles, 
overcome  the  resistance  and  gain  a  foothold  upon  the  bluffs 
beyond,  from  whence  it  was  hoped  that  Vicksburg,  a  few 
miles  away,  might  be  approached. 

Companies  A  and  B  of  the  Illinois  artillery  were  brought 
up,  and  with  them  the  celebrated  twenty-pound  Parrott  guns 
so  well  known  to  the  Fifty-fifth.  In  order  to  make  even  the 
poor  route  spoken  of  accessible,  it  was  necessary  to  clear  the 
road  and  approaches  to  the  bayou,  and  for  such  purpose 
these  guns  were  opened  and  the  edge  of  the  bayou  lined  with 
riflemen,  hoping  in  a  measure  to  control  the  fire  of  the  rebels 
on  the  other  side.  The  artillery  fire  was  incessant  for  some 
hours,  but  without  doubt  entirely  harmless  to  the  well- 
protected  Confederates.  Meanwhile  the  Fifty-fifth,  with  the 
exception  of  Companies  A  and  B,  which  were  engaged  in 


DEATH    OF    SCHLEICH.  193 

the  sharp-shooting  tournament,  lay  near  the  cannon,  lazily 
watching  the  explosion  of  the  shells  and  the  curious  rings  of 
smoke  going  up  from  the  muzzles  of  the  guns.  Malmborg 
amused  himself  by  occasionally  aiming  one  of  the  Parrotts, 
and  forever  after  felicitated  himself  upon  having  dismounted 
one  of  the  enemy's  guns,  situated  upon  an  Indian  mound 
some  distance  out  upon  the  bottom.  This  dubious  honor, 
however,  was  disputed  by  an  ambitious  lieutenant,  who 
claimed  to  have  fired  a  small  revolver  in  the  same  direction. 
Some  rebel  shell  plunged  about,  and  the  narrow  escapes 
were  numerous.  General  Stuart,  while  ranging  around  in  the 
rear  in  a  state  of  exaltation,  not  at  all  induced  by  an  over 
dose  of  river  water,  valorously  ordered  one  of  Captain  Bar 
rett's  battery  forges  into  position,  but  countermanded  his 
desperate  mandate  upon  being  told  by  the  Dutch  sergeant 
in  charge  that  he  had  no  other  ammunition  than  horse-shoes. 
Early  in  the  afternoon  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio  was  ordered 
to  remove  the  obstacles  from  the  road,  clear  the  approaches 
to  the  sand  bar  and  prepare  the  way  for  assault.  This  was 
a  task  of  great  danger  and  was  attempted  with  the  zeal  and 
gallantry  which  always  characterized  that  excellent  regiment 
in  battle,  and  which  earned  it  well  merited  praise  in  the 
subsequent  reports.  To  aid  and  protect  this  effort,  the 
fallen  timber  along  the  shore  of  the  bayou  was  crowded 
with  the  sharp-shooters  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  who  were  sent  to 
the  front  from  time  to  time.  The  companies  were  taken 
from  the  right  and  left,  alternately,  until  eight  companies 
were  engaged.  They  were  directed  to  scatter  out  among 
the  logs,  and  keep  up  an  incessant  fire  at  the  top  of  the 
levee  beyond.  When  it  became  the  turn  of  Company  F  to 
go,  it  was  led  forward  by  its  newly  made  captain,  Casper 
Schleich.  A  few  rods  brought  him  within  the  circle  of 
danger,  but  he  walked  fearlessly  at  the  head  of  his  men,  the 
very  impersonation  of  soldierly  valor.  With  his  arm  out 
stretched  for  the  purpose  of  directing  one  of  his  followers 
to  a  place  of  safety,  apparently  not  thinking  of  his  own 
peril,  he  was  struck  fair  in  the  breast  by  a  bullet,  and  with  a 
gush  of  blood  from  his  great  heart  he  fell  dead  into  the 
arms  of  his  comrades.  So  fell  one  of  the  marked  heroes  of 
13 


194  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

the  Fifty-fifth,  and  one  who  had  every  grace  of  mind  and 
person  to  qualify  him  for  an  ideal  soldier  and  officer.  He 
had  before  going  into  battle  felt  one  of  those  mysterious 
presentiments  which  sometimes  seem  to  beckon  soldiers 
across  the  silent  river.  He  told  of  his  premonitions  and 
appeared  to  believe  them,  but  walked  to  his  fate  without 
faltering, 

"  Like  one  that  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 

All  the  companies  had  been  taken  from  the  right  of  the 
regiment  up  to  Company  I,  which  stood  in  line  expecting  to 
be  sent  to  the  front  next.  Just  as  Captain  Schleich's  bleeding 
corpse  was  being  carried  by  on  the  left,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Malmborg,  who  had  not  yet  learned  of  the  calamity, 
approached  from  the  opposite  direction.  The  lieutenant  in 
command  of  Company  I  stepped  out  in  anticipation  of  the 
order  to  advance,  but  without  waiting  to  receive  it  announced 
that  Captain  Schleich  was  killed.  The  colonel's  lip  quiv 
ered.  In  an  instant  a  tear  stole  down  his  cheek  which  he 
brushed  away  as  though  it  might  seem  unsoldierly,  and  in  a 
tremulous  tone  gave  his  directions.  As  Company  I  moved 
by  him,  he  said,  "There  goes  my  singing  company.  God 
bless  you,  boys,  do  your  duty."  It  was  one  of  those  rare 
moments  when  the  noise  of  battle  had  humanized  him,  when 
the  every-day  turbulent  emotions  of  his  being  seemed 
to  be  suppressed  and  he  could  see  with  a  clearer  vision. 
It  was  an  act  of  feeling  on  his  part  which  made  one  inclined 
to  forget  the  past  and  hope  for  the  future. 

This  sharp-shooting  finally  involved  eight  companies  of 
the  regiment,  and  was  very  close  work.  The  men  were 
exceedingly  expert  in  seeking  cover  among  the  logs  and 
trees,  and  draped  themselves  with  the  moss  hanging  every 
where  from  the  limbs  for  further  disguise.  The  slightest 
exposure  of  the  person  brought  an  instant  messenger  from 
some  foe  behind  the  levee  across  the  bayou,  and  every  bullet 
was  aimed  at  some  one.  Narrow  escapes  were  frequent. 
Happy  Dan  Negley  of  Company  A,  was  hit  full  in  the  breast, 
but  the  many  folds  of  the  blanket  slung  around  him  inter 
posed  and  saved  a  valuable  life.  When  unrolled,  the 


THE    CASUALTIES.  195 

blanket  had  more  than  twenty  perforations  in  it.  At  this 
time  the  only  casualties  of  the  regiment  in  the  battle 
occurred.  Besides  the  death  of  Captain  Schleich,  already 
mentioned,  Captain  Cootes  was  badly  wounded  in  the 
shoulder;  Charles  Quinn  of  Company  B  was  killed  outright. 
He  had  enlisted  at  Memphis  and  this  was  his  first  battle. 
He  was  brave  to  rashness,  exposed  himself  recklessly,  and 
was  shot  through  the  head.  William  Bond  of  Company  E 
was  mortally  wounded.  Sergeant  Phillip  B.  Ferguson  of 
Company  F,  and  Sergeant  James  Harrell  of  Company  D, 
were  badly  wounded. 

Under  the  cover  of  this  fire  the  gallant  Fifty-fourth  Ohio 
was  employed  in  clearing  the  way  to  the  sand-bar,  and 
suffered  considerable  loss.  During  the  afternoon,  Colonel 
Wyman  of  the  Thirteenth  Illinois,  was  killed  just  to  the  left 
and  in  sight.  At  dusk,  all  of  the  companies  of  the  Fifty- 
fifth  were  withdrawn  from  the  edge  of  the  bayou  to  the 
place  close  in  rear  where  the  deployment  commenced. 
That  night  and  the  next  day  were  spent  on  the  same  ground 
near  the  batteries,  constantly  under  arms,  and  shot  and 
shell  were  flying  around.  Some  portion  of  the  regiment 
was  generally  on  the  skirmish  line,  but  no  further  loss 
followed.  Just  on  the  right,  the  Sixth  Missouri,  with  its 
brave  Colonel  Blood  at  its  head,  essayed  to  cross  the  sand 
bar.  It  passed  the  narrow  path  entirely  beyond  the  bayou 
and  remained  for  hours  under  the  steep  bank  with  the  rebels 
directly  overhead,  and  suffered  a  greater  loss  than  any 
regiment  in  the  division.  This  was  one  of  the  notable  feats 
of  the  war.  The  superb  officer  who  commanded  the  Sixth 
has  since  obtained  some  notoriety  as  one  of  the  numerous 
husbands,  brevet  or  otherwise,  of  Victoria  Woodhull.  Colonel 
Blood,  in  war  times,  was  a  gallant  officer,  though  somewhat 
a  soldier  of  fortune,  and  as  these  lines  are  written  word 
comes  that  he  has  lost  his  life  leading  some  sort  of  venture 
into  the  wilds  of  Africa.  It  was  on  this  day,  too,  that  the 
main  assault  was  made  by  Morgan's  and  Steele's  men,  some 
what  more  than  a  mile  to  the  left. 

Shortly  after  dark  on  the  2gth  a  violent,  cold  rain-storm 
set  in,  and  sleep  was  impossible  during  its  continuance.  On 


196  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

the  next  day  the  Fourth  brigade  was  withdrawn  from  the 
immediate  front,  having  been  under  fire  without  rest  and 
with  but  little  nourishment  since  the  first  occupation  of  the 
ground.  The  nervous  strain  and  the  sleepless  exposure  had 
brought  about  a  great  degree  of  exhaustion.  The  regiments 
were  taken  about  four  hundred  yards  in  the  woods  at  the 
rear,  and  fires  were  allowed  to  be  built.  The  tired,  wet  men 
dropped  in  limp  groups  around  these,  and  instantly  fell 
asleep.  The  indefatigable  Fisher  arrived  during  the  day  with 
hard-bread  and  bacon,  which,  without  the  frivolity  of  division, 
were  set  down  in  the  woods  where  each  could  help  himself. 
The  two  following  days  and  nights  were  spent  by  the  brigade 
in  comparative  rest,  but  without  any  pretence  of  shelter. 
At  times  the  bullets  from  the  rebel  front  dropped  thickly 
among  the  trees,  but  their  force  was  well  spent  and  protec 
tion  plenty.  The  plans  of  the  great  general  in  command  all 
failed,  but  for  causes  which  added  new  lustre  to  his  fame.  It 
was  not  known,  and  there  was  no  means  of  knowing,  that  the 
entire  movement  of  General  Grant  by  way  of  Holly  Springs 
had  miscarried,  and  that  more  of  the  rebel  army  than  could 
be  used  was  in  front  of  General  Sherman. 

The  new  year  dawned  upon  the  baffled  army,  but  brought 
no  feast  beyond  the  scant  rations  of  hard-tack  and  raw  pork, 
and  no  more  cheering  beverage  than  slimy  bayou  water. 
Just  after  dark  the  Fifty-fifth  silently  moved  again  to  the 
edge  of  the  stream  to  build  a  redoubt  for  Captain  Wood's 
battery,  A.  While  performing  that  duty,  in  silence  and  with 
out  interruption,  word  was  whispered  along  the  line  to  quietly 
withdraw  to  the  place  of  bivouac.  The  boxes  of  rations  were 
broken  open  and  the  contents  distributed,  and  the  regiment 
started  to  march  into  the  foggy  night,  it  knew  not  whither. 
In  winding  around  over  the  rough  corduroy  roads  through 
the  woods,  all  sense  of  direction  was  lost  among  the  rank 
and  file,  but  late  at  night  the  Yazoo  was  reached,  and  the 
long  line  of  steamboats  tied  up  at  its  bank  loomed  up  through 
the  darkness.  This  made  it  sufficiently  apparent  to  all  that 
a  retreat  was  in  operation. 

On  the  morning  of  the  second  of  January,  1863,  the  Fifty- 
fifth  embarked,  when  it  was  learned  that  General  McClernand 


McCLERNAND    TAKES    COMMAND. 

had  arrived  to  succeed  General  Sherman  in  command.  It 
was  not  welcome  news  to  the  troops,  for  they  had  by  no 
means  lost  confidence  in  "Uncle  Billy."  During  the  day  the 
boats  carrying  Stuart's  division  passed  down  out  of  the  Yazoo 
into  the  Mississippi,  and  tied  up  at  Milliken's  Bend.  With 
the  Fifty-fifth  were  the  remains  of  the  brave  Captain  Schleich, 
which  had  been  coffined  and  taken. in  charge  by  Chaplain 
Haney.  They  were  deposited  at  Milliken's  Bend,  close  beside 
the  majestic  stream.  Presently,  in  one  of  its  angry  moods, 
the  Father  of  Waters  washed  away  the  spot,  and  another 
hero,  as  brave  as  De  Soto  of  old,  found  an  unknown  resting 
place  in  its  turbid  depths. 

The  report  for  the  closing  month  of  the  year  1862  has 
been  found,  and  an  abstract  of  it  may  be  interesting  as  show 
ing  the  exact  condition  and  strength  of  the  Fifty-fifth  at  that 
period.  There  were  present  for  duty,  as  follows : 

Company  A,  48.  Company  F,  44. 

B,  36.  "         G,  50. 

C,40.  .                     "         H,  35. 

D,  37.  I,  41. 

E,  40.  K,  38. 

A  total  of  409  men.  There  were  present  with  their  com 
panies  13  line  officers,  exclusive  of  the  acting  field  officers. 
An  aggregate  of  625  names  still  appeared  upon  the  rolls  of 
the  organization. 

On  January  4th  the  whole  fleet  turned  up  the  river  in  the 
direction  from  which  it  came,  it  being  then  known  that  the 
movements  on  Vicksburg,  both  from  the  interior  and  by  way 
of  the  river,  had  failed.  Newspapers  began  to  arrive  bring 
ing  accounts  of  the  villainous  copperhead  spirit  in  the  North. 
This  was  especially  vicious  in  Illinois,  and  since  the  army  on 
the  Mississippi  was  largely  made  up  of  regiments  from  that 
state,  the  response  is  worth  noting.  It  came  in  the  shape  of 
a  universal  cry  of  indignation  and  protest  from  the  soldiers, 
who  abated  not  an  iota  of  their  fierce  determination  to  sub 
due  the  rebellion,  and  promised  further  to  inflict  suitable 
punishment  upon  the  malcontents  at  home.  In  this  display 
of  righteous  wrath  the  Fifty-fifth  held  its  own.  That  these 
troops,  undergoing  the  suffering  and  exposure  of  an  unsuc- 


198  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

cessful  winter  campaign,  did  thus  manfully  reply  to  the  "fire 
in  the  rear,"  is  as  creditable  to  them  as  anything  in  the  his 
tory  of  patriotism. 

The  expedition  apparently  recoiling,  really  had  an  aggres 
sive  purpose.  The  restless  genius  of  General  Sherman  had 
conceived  the  plan  of  capturing  Arkansas  Post,  a  fortified 
point  fifty  miles  up  the  Arkansas  River,  and  General  McCler- 
nand,  his  successor,  readily  adopted  the  idea,  and  gave  orders 
to  that  end.  Landing  at  intervals  to  supply  the  transports 
with  fuel  from  the  forests,  or  that  already  cut  and  found  upon 
the  banks,  the  army  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas  and 
arrived  at  the  White  River,  January  8th.  The  fleet  turned 
into  the  latter  river,  and  soon  from  thence,  through  a  cut-off, 
into  the  Arkansas.  Fully  thirty  thousand  Federal  soldiers 
covered  and  occupied  every  variety  of  transport  known  to 
river  navigation.  These  were  the  ripe  fruits  of  Northern 
patriotism,  that  had 

Come  as  the  winds  come,  when 

Forests  are  fended ; 
Come  as  the  waves  come,  when 

Navies  are  stranded ; 

and  were  on  their  way  to  exact  a  tribute  for  the  disappoint 
ment  at  Vicksburg. 

Notrib's  Farm,  three  miles  below  the  fort,  was  reached 
on  the  evening  of  the  Qth.  Cavalry  and  infantry  pickets, 
with  adequate  supports,  landed  at  once,  but  most  of  the 
troops  remained  on  the  more  comfortable  transports  during 
the  night.  The  fort  itself  was  in  plain  view,  and  commanded 
two  miles  of  the  stream.  It  was  a  staunch  little  work,  with 
three  eight-inch  guns  pointing  down  stream,  heavily  case- 
mated  with  timber  and  railroad  iron.  In  the  interior  of  the 
fort,  mounted  in  barbette,  was  a  ten-inch  gun.  This  loud- 
voiced  messenger  of  the  rebellion  could  be  turned  in  any 
direction.  From  the  fort,  situated  upon  the  river  bank  twenty 
feet  above  the  water's  edge,  there  extended  inland  and 
up-stream  a  long  line  of  earth-works,  which,  after  enclosing 
sufficient  territory,  returned  to  the  river  above.  Along  these 
were  distributed  the  infantry  troops  of  the  garrison,  and 


ARKANSAS    POST.  199 

considerable  field  artillery.  Between  the  work  above  de 
scribed  and  the  landing-place  of  the  Union  army  there  were 
various  lines  of  rifle-pits,  some  of  them  only  partially  com 
pleted,  which  were  not  strenuously  defended  by  the  Confed 
erates.  The  main  work  and  its  dependencies  were  held  by 
about  six  thousand  men,  under  the  command  of  General 
Churchill.  The  purpose  of  the  work  was  to  defend  Little 
Rock  and  the  interior.  The  plan  of  the  attack  was  to  stretch 
a  cordon  of  troops  from  the  river  below  entirely  around  the 
rebels  to  the  river  above,  and  in  conjunction  with  the  gun 
boat  fleet,  belabor  them  into  surrender. 

On  Sunday,  the  next  day,  the  fifty-fifth  disembarked. 
Many  officers  and  men  remained  on  board,  sick  and  disabled 
from  the  recent  very  severe  exposure.  This  with  the  ac 
companying  ill  success  of  the  few  weeks  previous,  and  the 
copperhead  news  from  the  North,  somewhat  depressed  the 
troops.  The  superseding  of  General  Sherman  by  General 
McClernand  was  not  well  received  by  the  men.  Captain 
Slattery,  who  had  just  recovered  from  a  serious  fit  of 
illness,  was  serving  upon  the  staff  of  the  division  com 
mander.  As  the  regiment  was  forming  on  the  shore,  pre 
paratory  to  marching  out  to  the  attack,  it  was  interrupted 
by  the  clatter  of  a  squadron  of  cavalry  which  came  dashing 
up.  At  their  head  rode  a  dark,  bewhiskered  man  upon  a 
black  stallion,  who,  arriving  in  front  of  the  colors,  reined 
his  war-horse  back  upon  his  haunches,  raised  his  plumed 
hat  in  the  air  and  grandiloquently  inquired  the  name  of 
the  regiment.  Upon  being  told,  he  gave  the  hat  a  flourish 
and  shouted,  "May  your  gallantry  on  this  occasion  equal, 
if  not  excel  your  gallant  conduct  at  Shiloh."  The  colonel 
called  for  three  cheers  for  General  McClernand,  who  this 
turned  out  to  be.  Presently  the  Fifty-fifth,  closely  followed 
by  the  Thirteenth  Regulars,  started  toward  the  rebel 
intrenchments.  There  were  thirteen  officers  and  three  hun 
dred  and  forty  men  in  the  regimental  line,  showing  a  loss  to 
the  effective  force  of  nearly  one  hundred  since  entering  the 
battle  of  Chickasaw  Bayou.  This  was  of  course  mainly  from 
sickness,  and  illustrates  the  terrible  nature  of  the  exposure. 

After  following  the  river  bank  a  short  distance  to  a  line 


200  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

of  unoccupied  rifle-pits,  the  column  turned  inland  and  pro 
ceeded  in  a  northwesterly  direction  into  the  small  but  dense 
timber  covering  the  country.  Two  miles  from  the  main  works 
the  rebel  skirmishers  were  found,  commanded  by  Colonel 
Garland  of  Texas.  The  Thirteenth  were  deployed  as  skir 
mishers,  and  followed  in  close  support  by  the  Fifty-fifth,  the 
contest  opening  in  the  usual  desultory  way.  Occasionally 
an  enormous  shell  whipped  through  the  timber,  seeking  out 
the  blue  line.  The  enemy  were  slowly  pressed  back  toward 
their  works  by  the  gallant  Thirteenth,  and  occasionally  a 
squalid,  dead  Confederate  was  passed  who  had  met  a  swift  mes 
senger  of  reconstruction.  During  the  movement  Companies 
A,  F  and  C  were  deployed,  and  as  night  approached,  the 
Confederates  were  forced  back  out  of  the  timber  into  the 
cleared  space  in  front  of  their  works.  As  the  sun  was  set 
ting,  the  Union  line  in  close  pursuit,  came  in  sight  of  the  in- 
trenchments  and  the  log  buildings  used  as  barracks.  Dark 
ness  came  early  on  that  short  winter  day  and  found  the  Fed 
eral  line  of  environment  incomplete.  The  heads  of  the 
various  columns  like  Stuart's  had  reached  the  vicinity  of  the 
works,  and  a  part  of  the  Fifty-fifth  was  pushed  out  among 
the  brush  and  stumps  of  the  open  space,  while  the  remainder 
lay  down  in  line  a  few  rods  in  the  rear.  The  rest  of  the 
division  was  massed  in  column  by  regiments  close  at  hand, 
no  opportunity  existing  for  extending  the  lines  over  the 
obstructed  country.  Blankets  and  overcoats  had  been  left 
on  board  the  transports  in  the  expectation  of  immediate 
engagement,  and  the  night  set  in  freezing  cold  and  threaten 
ing  snow.  Of  course  no  fires  were  allowed  to  be  built  under 
the  circumstances.  The  suffering  in  consequence  during  the 
night  was  extreme. 

Presently  a  flash  like  that  of  lightning  illuminated  the 
west,  and  a  great  shell  from  the  pivot  gun  in  the  fort  came 
shrieking  toward  us.  It  went  just  above  the  Fifty-fifth,  but 
passed  to  the  rear  before  exploding.  Every  man  dropped 
prone  upon  the  ground  instantly,  and  as  close  to  the  bosom 
of  mother  earth  as  the  somewhat  rigid  limits  of  human  anat 
omy  would  allow.  All  eyes  turned  to  the  fort  in  expectation 
of  another  ten  inch  shell  from  the  same  source.  It  soon 


SURROUNDING    THE    CAMP.  2OI 

came  screaming  along  leaving  sparks  of  fire  behind.  This 
time  it  passed  not  over  six  feet  high  and  exploded  with  a 
terrific  splitting  sound  a  few  feet  to  the  rear  of  the  regiment 
and  among  the  troops  massed  behind.  In  the  Fifty-fifth 
Dedrick  Garbs  of  Company  E,  a  good  soldier,  was  mortally 
wounded.  Tom  Clark  of  Company  I,  another  fine  soldier 
who  had  been  wounded  at  Russell's  House,  had  a  leg  broken. 
Among  the  other  regiments  several  were  hit,  the  loss  from 
the  single  explosion  being  stated  at  the  time  as  three  killed 
and  fourteen  wounded.  The  brave  Captain  Yeomans  of  the 
Fifty-fourth  Ohio  lost  his  left  arm.  He  was  refused  promo 
tion  to  the  majority  of  his  regiment  for  this  disability,  but 
subsequently  raised  a  colored  regiment  and  came  out  of  the 
last  Richmond  campaign  a  brigadier-general.  A  third  shell 
followed  from  the  same  gun  which  went  further  to  the  rear 
before  exploding.  Just  then  it  was  struck  by  a  shot  from  the 
gunboats  and  its  voice  silenced  forever.  Daylight  and  the 
appearance  of  large  board  targets  placed  at  various  distances 
over  the  level  country  explained  the  accuracy  of  the  shots 
fired  by  this  gun.  The  firing  soon  almost  ceased  except  here 
and  there  a  shot  rang  sharply  in  the  night  air  from  some 
alarmed  picket.  In  trying  to  establish  a  connection  with  the 
pickets  on  the  right,  Sergeant  Reidenour  who  had  been 
sent  on  that  duty,  narrowly  escaped  with  his  life.  Michael 
T.  Cox  of  Company  A,  heard  some  one  near  his  post  in  the 
direction  of  the  enemy,  and  his  quick  rifle  was  aimed  and 
fired  that  way,  with  deadly  effect.  The  shot  was  followed 
by  the  most  heart-rending  moans  and  exclamations,  until 
after  some  hours  they  subsided  in  the  silence  of  death.  Who 
this  was  or  why  he  was  approaching  the  line  was  never 
known. 

Finally  the  long,  dreary  night  passed  and  daylight 
dawned.  The  slow  movement  of  investing  the  Confederate 
works  was  resumed.  Toward  noon  this  was  completed.  All 
the  batteries  with  the  army  were  brought  up  with  the  line 
and  opened  upon  the  enemy.  The  entire  front  of  the  army 
in  plain  view  of  the  rebels  behind  the  works,  was  curtained 
with  a  cloud  of  skirmishers  who,  when  ready,  advanced 
against  their  fellow  citizens  in  like  formation  upon  the  other 


202  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

side.  The  ground  gained  from  time  to  time  under  the  hot 
fire  was  occupied  by  the  skirmishers,  when  the  main  line 
advanced  accordingly  and  lay  down.  This  very  well  de 
scribes  the  character  of  the  whole  battle  from  the  land  side, 
which  consisted  of  a  series  of  rushes,  as  above  stated. 

In  conjunction  with  these  operations,  Commodore  Porter, 
with  his  gunboats,  moved  up  the  river  directly  upon  the  main 
fort.  The  narrow  stream  was  crowded  with  vessels  armed 
with  guns  of  the  heaviest  metal  of  that  period.  They 
steamed  up  to  and  finally  passed  the  rebel  works  to  the  rear 
of  their  position,  placing  the  enemy  exactly  between  the 
army  and  the  navy.  During  the  passage  the  massive  fort 
had  been  pounded  into  an  irregular  and  useless  heap  of 
earth,  and  every  gun  in  it  dismounted.  Those  of  its  defend 
ers  who  had  not  been  smashed  by  the  enormous  missiles 
hurled  at  them,  fled  to  a  safer  place.  Meanwhile  the  long 
lines  of  infantry  had  been  spasmodically  gaining  ground  in 
the  interior,  and  by  this  time  were  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  rifle-pits,  all  rebel  skirmishers  having  been  driven  in. 
The  Federal  line  of  battle  could  not  fire  because  their  whole 
front  was  covered  by  their  own  skirmishers.  The  rebel  bul 
lets,  however,  flew  thickly  around,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the 
protection  afforded  by  lying  down,  and  an  occasional  depres 
sion  in  the  ground,  the  casualties  would  have  been  serious. 
As  it  was,  only  one  man  was  hit  in  the  Fifty-fifth,  and  he  not 
seriously.  The  victim  was  little  Billy  Nagleschmidt  of  Com 
pany  I,  who  had  been  wounded  at  Shiloh,  and  died  before 
the  war  ended.  A  spent  ball  struck  him  in  the  arm,  and,  as 
is  frequently  the  case,  hurt  worse  than  it  would  if  the  wound 
had  been  of  a  more  bloody  character.  After  going  to  the 
rear  a  short  distance  he  was  met  by  the  musicians  and  offered 
a  ride  upon  a  stretcher.  While  he  was  being  carried  the  men 
stopped  to  rest,  and  undertook  to  examine  the  wound,  when, 
to  Billy's  surprise,  not  a  drop  of  blood  was  drawn.  The 
wounded  but  disgusted  soldier  returned  swearing  to  his  com 
pany,  where  he  remained  through  the  day,  but  too  disabled 
to  carry  his  gun. 

As  the  lines  converged  into  the  open  country  around  the 
works,  their  whole  magnificent  stretch  came  into  view.  At 


THE    SURRENDER.  203 

proper  intervals  the  batteries,  keeping  abreast,  moved  by 
hand,  opened  viciously,  and  as  the  rebel  skirmishers  clustered 
around  or  behind  some  building  for  protection,  every  gun  in 
range  would,  apparently  by  instinct,  open  upon  them,  which 
overt  act  would  be  followed  by  a  stampede  of  the  rebels  to 
the  rear.  This  gradual  advance  finally  brought  everything 
face  to  face  with  the  Confederate  works,  which  could  be  seen 
crowded  with  men.  Any  further  progress  must  be  a  genuine 
assault  upon  the  enemy's  fortified  position.  That  was  deter 
mined  upon,  and  orders  were  repeated  along  the  whole 
front.  At  least  twenty-five  thousand  men  clad  in  blue  arose 
from  their  recumbent  position  and  stood  erect  at  the  word  of 
command.  When  the  order  came  to  fix  bayonets,  a  mighty 
wave  of  burnished  steel  rose  from  one  flank  to  the  other.  It 
flashed  in  the  eyes  of  the  opposing  host,  and  struck  terror  to 
their  hearts.  Just  as  the  bayonets  were  fixed  and  the  line 
came  to  a  charge,  awaiting  breathlessly  the  final  word  to  rush 
forward,  several  white  flags  appeared  above  the  breastworks. 
Without  any  order,  generals,  staff  officers,  line  officers  and 
enlisted  men,  with  a  wild  cheer  and  without  a  shot  being  fired, 
swept  over  the  works  and  the  capture  was  complete. 

The  surrender  seems  to  have  been  the  spontaneous  act  of 
the  men  and  the  moral  effect  of  the  fierce  preparation  going 
on  just  before  them,  and  led  to  much  recrimination  among 
the  rebel  authorities.  The  stupid,  ragged  and  misguided 
Arkansas  and  Texas  men  quailed  before  the  on-coming  loyal 
wave,  and  terminated  their  first  battle  in  a  way  their  own 
officers  stigmatized  as  cowardly.  As  they  fell  back  from 
their  works  the  rebels  in  front  of  Stuart's  division  gathered 
in  a  promiscuous  crowd  around  a  small  pond  of  water,  and 
commenced  quietly  tossing  into  it  knives,  revolvers  and  such 
like  personal  gear.  This  was  soon  discovered,  and  the  icy, 
cold  water  explored  by  the  victors,  who  splashed  and  dove 
until  the  last  relic  was  rescued. 

To  the  right  of  where  the  Fifty-fifth  entered  the  works  a 
Confederate  brigade  was  commanded  by  a  small,  black-eyed, 
handsome  colonel,  named  Deshler.  He  refused  to  surrender 
his  men  for  a  little  time,  claiming  that  he  had  received  no 
orders  to  that  effect;  but  before  a  wholesale  slaughter  was 


204  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

inaugurated  he  succumbed  to  the  inevitable.  This  hot-headed 
colonel,  afterward  a  brigadier  in  the  Confederate  service, 
literally  lost  his  head  at  Chickamauga,  for  it  was  taken  off 
by  a  cannon  shot.  The  night  after  the  capture  the  regiment 
remained  near  the  intrenchments  around  camp-fires,  dividing 
their  rations  with  the  captured  "Johnnies."  Some  temperate 
hilarity  was  indulged  in,  as  was  natural  after  such  a  victory, 
and  the  poor,  tired  sergeant-major  records  that  "Company  I's 
Dutch  glee  club  kept  the  camp  awake  until  after  midnight 
with  their  songs."  It  is  more  than  likely  that  Fred  Ebersold 
and  Dorsey  Andress  had  something  to  do  with  this  atrocity. 

Work  was  immediately  commenced  for  the  complete  de 
struction  of  the  rebel  stronghold,  it  not  being  intended  to 
occupy  the  place.  The  Union  dead  and  wounded,  amounting 
in  all  to  ten  hundred  and  thirty-two,  were  properly  taken 
care  of.  The  Confederate  dead  were  pitched  unceremoni 
ously  into  the  ditches,  and  the  earth-works  shoveled  down 
upon  them.  The  ragged,  forlorn  prisoners,  shivering  with 
the  cold,  were  placed  upon  transports  and  sent  north  under  a 
proper  escort.  Some  preliminary  steps  were  taken  toward 
going  into  camp  while  General  McClernand  was  incubating 
a  fanciful  plan  of  proceeding  up  the  river  to  Little  Rock,  and 
so  on  into  the  wilds  of  Arkansas.  Happily  the  water  in  the 
river  was  not  sufficient  for  any  such  knight-erranty. 

On  the  foggy  evening  of  January  I3th  the  Fifty-fifth  dis 
mantled  its  slight  bivouac  and  proceeded  along  the  muddy, 
crowded  road  to  the  landing  below.  On  the  way  a  bedrag 
gled  squad  of  men,  scarce  more  than  a  company,  were  passed 
who  were  acting  as  guard  to  a  wagon  train.  The  rough  jokes 
of  the  Fifty-fifth  were  turned  in  that  direction,  but  they  were 
instantly  followed  by  a  respectful  silence  when  it  was  learned 
that  this  was  all  that  was  left  of  the  brave  Germans  of  the 
Fifty-eighth  Ohio,  since  Chickasaw  Bayou.  The  steamer 
South-Wester  was  embarked  upon  at  nine  o'clock  at  night, 
and  during  the  next  day  remained  tied  up  to  the  shore. 
This  was  the  transport  infected  with  the  small-pox,  which 
gave  to  the  regiment  its  first  and  only  attack  from  that  epi 
demic,  from  the  effects  of  which  several  men  died.  The 
weather  alternated  between  rain  and  snow,  and  Napoleon, 


THE    COMMISSIONS    ARRIVE.  205 

the  vile  town  at  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas,  was  reached  .on 
the  morning  of  January  i6th,  where  the  first  news  of  the 
great  battle  of  Stone  River  was  received,  as  well  as  the  de 
tails  of  General  Grant's  failure  in  the  Vicksburg  campaign 
by  the  way  of  Holly  Springs.  This  last,  of  course,  fully 
explained  why  so  overwhelming  a  force  had  confronted  Sher 
man  at  Chickasaw  Bayou.  By  the  same  mail  also  came  a 
large  package  from  the  Governor  of  Illinois  to  Captain 
Augustine.  This  contained  the  commissions  belonging  to 
the  various  officers  of  the  regiment,  before  alluded  to,  and 
their  delivery  was  announced  in  a  loud  tone  of  voice  by  the 
captain,  in  the  presence  of  General  Stuart,  who  let  loose  cer 
tain  ineffectual  profanity  thereat. 

On  Sunday,  January  I7th,  the  Fifty-fifth  was  sent  up  the 
river  a  short  distance  for  the  purpose  of  foraging  at  a  large 
plantation.  This  extensive  domain  was  thoroughly  cleaned 
out  with  profitable  results.  It  belonged  to  a  rebel,  General 
Clark,  who  was  wounded  at  Shiloh,  and  subsequently  mor 
tally  hurt  at  Baton  Rouge.  From  this  point  several  men 
deserted  from  the  regiment,  incited  thereto  by  cowardice, 
discouragement,  and  the  copperhead  demonstrations  at  home. 
The  place  was  convenient  for  an  escape  into  the  woods,  and 
was  much  more  practicable  than  when  the  whole  army  was 
present;  besides  guerillas  were  hovering  near  who  would 
readily  put  the  deserters  through  the  form  of  a  parole,  a 
common  method  of  proceeding  under  such  circumstances. 
Among  these  was  one  Andrew  Mitchell  of  Company  I,  a 
constitutional  coward,  who  had  commenced  his  warlike  career 
by  aspiring  to  a  commission,  but  who  disgraced  his  corporal's 
chevrons  at  Shiloh  by  running  away.  His  escapade  in  way 
of  desertion  at  this  place  is  worth  noting,  because  he  made 
his  way  in  the  dead  of  winter  through  the  sparsely  settled 
wilds  of  Arkansas  and  Missouri,  afoot  and  alone,  fully  seven 
hundred  miles,  to  his  home  in  Illinois.  A  small  share  of  the 
hardships  and  privations  of  such  a  journey,  if  they  had  been 
endured  in  the  line  of  duty,  would  have  honestly  earned  the 
promotion  he  once  aspired  to. 

On  Monday,  January  igth,  the  fleet  turned  down  stream 
toward  Vicksburg,  to  reopen  operations  against  that  strong- 


206  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

hold.  The  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry  was  in  it,  destined  to 
take  an  important  and  creditable  part  in  that  memorable 
campaign.  In  its  efforts  to  maintain  national  supremacy 
that  regiment  had  already  lost  two  hundred  and  sixty-seven 
men  by  the  casualties  of  battle.  Fifty-four  of  this  roll  of 
honor  had  been  shot  dead,  and  thirty-eight  so  grievously 
stricken  that  death  soon  followed. 


PART   II. 


FROM  YOUNG'S  POINT  TO  ATLANTA. 


JANUARY,  1863,  TO  NOVEMBER,  1864. 


BY 


CAPTAIN    HENRY   S.  NOURSE. 


CHAPTER   V. 


THE   VICKSBURG    CAMPAIGN. 

BEFORE  the  comhig  of  the  year  1863  nearly  every  one, 
from  president  to  private  soldier,  had  been  educated  to 
understand  that  henceforward  all  strategic  operations  in  the 
West  ought  to  aim  at  one  definite  object  —  the  secure  posses 
sion  of  the  great  natural  highway  which  binds  the  Northwest 
to  the  gulf  states.  To  the  opening  of  the  Mississippi  all  the 
tireless  energies  of  the  Western  armies  and  the  military 
genius  of  their  generals  were  to  be  directed.  The  expedition 
which — as  has  been  described  in  the  previous  chapter- 
resulted  in  destruction  of  the  intrenched  camp  at  Arkansas 
Post,  was  held  excusable,  only  because  it  was  seen  to  be  in 
some  sense  subsidiary  to  the  grander  work,  and  because  ably 
conducted  to  brilliant  success.  Further  eccentric  digression, 
planned  and  fully  resolved  upon  by  Major-General  McCler- 
nand,  would  have  been  a  serious  military  blunder.  The 
immediate  return  of  the  victorious  forces  to  their  proper 
task  was  imperative.  But  about  the  processes  by  which  the 
solution  of  the  great  problem  should  be  attempted,  there 
was  much  reason  for  question.  Indeed  many  and  unfortu 
nate  differences  of  judgment  respecting  these  had  previously 
arisen  among  those  highest  in  authority.  The  ambitious 
schemes  of  self-confident  political  brigadiers,  pushed  by  per 
sonal  pressure  at  Washington,  had  more  than  once  marred  a 
skilfully  directed  campaign.  But  for  such  schemes,  added 
to  ill-advised  interference  from  the  War  Department  and  the 
14 


210  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

untoward  consequences  resulting  therefrom,  General  Grant 
would  doubtless  have  persisted  in  grand  strategy  accordant 
with  established  military  science; — strategy  which  during  the 
preceding  twelve-month  had  proved  eminently  productive, 
compelling  the  successive  abandonment  by  the  Confederates 
of  one  stronghold  after  another  along  the  Mississippi  until 
the  river  was  freed  of  hostile  blockade  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Ohio  to  that  of  the  Yazoo.  The  Northern  people,  more 
over,  always  impatient  of  slow  onward  movement  and  mea 
gre  victories,  became  more  and  more  clamorous  for  a  positive 
success;  and  a  return  to  Memphis  as  the  base  for  a  campaign 
along  railroad  lines  southward,  however  wise  upon  military 
grounds,  would  have  been  at  once  heralded  as  a  retreat,  and, 
temporarily  at  least,  would  have  added  to  the  grave  discour 
agements  already  felt  in  the  ranks  of  the  army  and  in  political 
councils.  Thus  hampered  by  instructions  of  superiors  and 
the  popular  outcry  for  advance,  there  was  but  one  course  to 
pursue,  and  General  Grant  promptly  ordered  the  army  back 
to  Vicksburg,  taking  command  in  person. 

Three  days  were  consumed  in  the  journey  down  the  river. 
It  being  the  third  passage  by  the  regiment  through  this  lonely 
region,  the  novelty  of  travel  had  largely  worn  off.  The  broad 
stream,  often  picturesquely  varied  at  the  north,  here  rolled  a 
turbid,  sullen  torrent,  between  low  shores  densely  covered 
with  woods  of  little  value,  and  as  we  neared  our  destination 
funereal  with  cypress  and  the  sombre-hued  moss  that  draped 
the  trees.  Few  indications  of  civilization  appeared  on  either 
bank.  Sometimes  houseless  chimneys  were  seen  standing 
where  little  communities  once  had  homes;  for  retribution  by 
fire  had  fallen  wherever  had  been  sheltered  the  guerilla  par 
ties  that  assailed  supply  boats  and  transports.  The  enlisted 
men,  having  few  duties  to  occupy  their  time,  wandered  list 
lessly  about  the  boat  or  whiled  away  the  weary  hours  with 
cards  and  sleep.  The  officers  took  lessons  in  river  navigation 
of  the  pilot  at  the  wheel,  and  drew  out  the  captain's  stock 
jokes  and  highly  spiced  stories  of  steamboat  life,  or  wrote 
homesick  letters  in  the  cabin.  No  startling  event  disturbed 
the  monotony  of  the  trip.  On  the  twenty-second  of  Janu 
ary  the  regiment  landed  at  Young's  Point  and  set  up  its  tents 


YOUNG'S    POINT    CANAL.  211 

in  sight  of  Vicksburg,  by  the  channel  seven  miles  from  the 
city,  but  in  a  direct  line  little  more  than  three  miles  from  its 
lower  batteries. 

The  camp  was  near  the  northern  end  of  a  canal  which  had 
been  dug  by  negroes  across  the  upper  end  of  the  peninsula 
during  July,  1862,  under  orders  of  Brigadier-General  Thomas 
Williams.  This  noted  canal,  from  which  wonderful  results 
were  anticipated  and  confidently  foretold  by  those  who,  hun 
dreds  of  miles  distant,  managed  the  war  upon  maps,  greatly 
disappointed  the  soldiers  encamped  in  the  swamp  beside  it. 
In  appearance  it  was  little  more  conspicuous  than  a  farm 
ditch,  being  generally  not  over  ten  feet  broad  and  six  feet 
deep  where  completed.  It  was  about  one  mile  and  an  eighth 
in  length.  The  Fifteenth  Army  Corps  was  at  once  provided 
with  spades  and  set  at  work  enlarging  it  to  a  width  of  fifty 
or  sixty  feet.  Those  of  little  experience,  having  seen  the 
vagrant  propensities  of  the  Mississippi,  and  learning  that  it 
often  at  flood-time  within  twenty-four  hours  cuts  for  itself  in 
the  alluvium  an  entirely  new  channel  across  similar  peninsu 
las,  had  large  hope  of  this  cut-off.  There  were,  however, 
hundreds  in  the  army  better  acquainted  with  the  river,  who, 
in  the  free  discussion  of  the  situation  by  the  camp-fires,  talk 
ing  wisely  about  the  eddy  before  the  proposed  entrance  and 
the  clayey  nature  of  the  subsoil,  prophesied  that  the  way 
ward  current  could  not  be  coaxed  to  enter  the  channel  being 
laboriously  prepared  for  it.  There  was  for  this  reason  after 
a  time  not  much  heart  put  into  the  work;  but  for  twelve 
hours  daily  the  men  by  details  took  turns  at  digging  in  the 
tenacious  mud,  and  the  aid  of  two  dredging  machines  was 
finally  called  in.  It  was  soon  obvious  to  all  that,  even  if  the 
canal  became  navigable,  it  would  be  of  little  utility  for  aiding 
any  flank  movement,  our  vigilant  opponents  having  located 
new  batteries  so  as  completely  to  command  its  southern  out 
let.  Besides,  it  became  well  known  that  Warrenton  and 
Grand  Gulf  upon  the  river  below  presented  formidable  bluffs, 
frowning  with  batteries  little  less  impregnable  than  Vicksburg 
itself.  Intelligent  soldiers'  saw  that  we  were  only  "marking 
time,"  and  impatiently  awaited  the  next  movement.  The 
fruitless  labor  went  regularly  on,  however,  and  the  little  city 


212  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

looked  scornfully  down  from  its  steep  hillsides,  and  occasion 
ally  sent  from  the  far-reaching  rifled  cannon,  known  to  both 
armies  as  "Whistling  Dick,"  a  shrieking  shell  to  crash  through 
the  tree  tops  above  the  dredges,  giving  warning  of  her  watch 
fulness  and  of  the  nature  of  the  welcome  ready  for  foes 
daring  a  nearer  approach. 

The  period  of  its  stay  at  Young's  Point  was  on  many 
accounts  one  of  the  gloomiest  in  the  career  of  the  regiment. 
At  the  time  of  its  arrival  the  river  was  rapidly  rising,  and  the 
turbid  waters  gradually  crept  up  the  slope  of  the  high  levee 
several  feet  above  the  level  of  the  encampments.  It  was  a 
winter  of  excessive  rains  and  unusual  floods.  The  swamps 
became  lakes,  and  camps  and  roads  were  sloughs  of  black 
mire.  If  one  put  his  foot  squarely  down  anywhere,  it  was 
questionable,  when  he  raised  it  again,  if  the  shoe  would  not 
stay  behind;  and  if  it  yielded  reluctant  allegiance  where  it 
belonged,  it  brought  with  it  a  pound  or  two  of  unctuous 
earth.  The  nights  were  so  damp  and  chill  that,  when  attain 
able,  log  fires  were  kept  before  the  tents,  while  the  days  were 
sometimes  oppressively  sultry.  The  men,  although  now 
hardened  campaigners,  working  day  after  day  midleg  deep 
in  mud  and  water,  in  a  malarious  climate,  under  various  dis 
couragements  and  a  lack  of  generous  food,  gradually  lost 
spirits,  grumbled  audibly,  and  began  to  fail  in  health.  Sev 
eral  cases  of  small-pox  appeared,  causing  great  alarm;  but 
they  proved  sporadic  and  of  mild  type  for  the  most  part. 
For  five  months  the  paymaster  with  his  iron  chest  had  not 
been  seen,  and  not  only  men  and  officers,  but  their  families, 
suffered  many  discomforts  by  consequence. 

Sadly  missed  in  tent  and  field  were  two  captains  recently 
lost  by  death:  Casper  Schleich  and  George  Lee  Thurston. 
The  former,  slain  at  Chickasaw  Bayou,  was  a  jovial  com 
panion  and  gallant  soldier,  whose  nobleness  of  spirit  was 
graced  with  manly  beauty  of  form  and  face.  Buoyant  with 
enthusiasm  and  that  self  confidence  which  talents,  health  and 
youth  give,  every  one  he  met  was  his  friend.  His  loss  for  a 
time  seemed  to  cast  a  shadow  'over  the  whole  regiment. 
About  this  date  came  notice  of  the  death  of  Captain  Thurs- 


CHANGES    OF    OFFICERS.  213 

ton,  who  for  several  months  had  been  on  sick  furlough  at-his 
father's  home  in  Lancaster,  Massachusetts,  awaiting  the 
acceptance  of  his  resignation.  While  on  duty  with  the  regi 
ment,  he  had  been  one  of  the  most  universally  popular  men 
in  it.  Connected  from  his  earliest  manhood  with  military 
companies  at  the  East  and  in  Chicago,  he  was  more  accom 
plished  than  most  of  his  comrades  in  the  elementary  knowl 
edge  of  the  art  of  war  and  the  routine  details  of  an  officer's 
duty.  Ambitious  and  valiant,  equipped  by  nature  with  a 
taste  and  aptitude  for  arms  and  inspired  with  patriotic  fervor, 
he  seemed  to  deserve,  and  to  be  destined  to  win,  high  com 
mand.  But  his  health,  always  frail,  utterly  succumbed  after 
the  exposure  and  toil  of  Shiloh  and  the  campaign  against 
Corinth.  Upon  the  stone  over  his  grave  these  appropriate 
lines  of  "L.  E.  L."  are  inscribed: 

"  That  soldier  had  stood  on  the  battle-plain, 
Where  every  step  was  over  the  slain; 
But  the  brand  and  the  ball  had  pass'd  him  by, 
And  he  came  to  his  early  home  to  die. 

A  saddened  group  one  evening  in  the  camp,  embracing  all 
with  the  command  who  had  been  their  fellow  officers,  joined 
in  a  feeling  expression  of  esteem  for,  and  grief  at  the  loss  of, 
these  valuable  patriots  and  battle-tried  comrades. 

By  the  mail  of  January  2/th  a  commission  from  the  Gov 
ernor  of  Illinois  came,  promoting  Lieutenant-Colonel  Oscar 
Malmborg  to  be  colonel,  in  place  of  David  Stuart,  whose 
resignation  had  been  accepted  while  he  awaited  confirmation 
of  an  appointment  as  brigadier-general.  Major  William  D. 
Sanger  was  at  the  same  date  commissioned  lieutenant-colonel, 
and  Captain  Theodore  C.  Chandler,  major.  Major  Sanger, 
who  had  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  three  years'  military  edu 
cation  at  West  Point,  having  entered  as  a  cadet  in  1848,  was 
a  gallant  and  accomplished  officer,  much  liked  by  the  com 
mand.  Although  detached  from  the  regiment  since  the  date 
of  its  leaving  Paducah,  he  was  probably  the  unanimous 
choice  of  the  line  officers  for  colonel.  He,  however,  declined 
a  regimental  commission  at  once,  in  a  letter  which  is  honor 
able  alike  to  him  and  the  Fifty-fifth. 


214  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

HEADQUARTERS  FIFTEENTH  ARMY  CORPS,  IN  CAMP  > 
BEFORE  VICKSBURG,  Qth  February,  1863.  ) 

His  Excellency  RICHARD  YATES, 

Governor  State  of  Illinois. 

GOVERNOR  :  Upon  my  return  to  this  corps  from  a  convoy  of  pris 
oners  taken  at  Post  Arkansas,  I  received  an  enclosure  covering  a 
commission  as  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  55th  Regiment  Illinois  Vol.  Infty. 
I  am  compelled  to  decline  the  acceptance  of  this  commission.  The  rea 
sons  are  these,  viz:  Soon  after  the  regiment  took  the  field  at  Paducah,  I 
was  appointed  an  aid  to  General  Sherman,  and  in  that  capacity  I  have 
served  since  the  loth  of  March  last,  until  by  an  order  of  the  War  Depart 
ment  I  was  mustered  out  of  service.  .At  the  time  notice  of  the  act  of  the 
War  Department  was  received,  the  corps  of  General  Sherman  was  taking 
the  field  as  part  of  the  expedition  to  open  the  Mississippi;  I  had  so  long 
been  associated  with  the  corps,  that  I  felt  reluctant  to  leave  the  field  at 
that  time  in  consequence  of  an  order  of  the  War  Department  which  orig 
inated  in  error.  I  therefore  remained  with  General  Sherman  as  a  member 
of  his  staff.  In  that  position  I  served  through  the  campaign  and  its 
battles.  General  Sherman  has  seen  fit  to  recommend  my  promotion  to  a 
lieutenant-colonelcy  on  his  staff.  I  have  therefore  not  been  identified 
with  the  55th  as  a  field  officer,  during  any  of  the  campaigns  in  which  the 
regiment  has  distinguished  itself.  It  is  but  just  that  the  line  officers  who 
have  served  with  the  regiment  during  its  arduous,  eventful  and  brilliant 
history  should  receive  the  promotion  which  changes  have  made  neces 
sary.  I  therefore  most  respectfully  decline  the  commission  as  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  the  55th  111.  Vols. 

With  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  D.  SANGER. 

Major  Sanger  never  entered  the  service  again.  He  died 
in  St.  Louis,  November,  1873. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Malmborg's  manners  and  temper  had 
so  little  commended  him  to  the  good-will  or  respect  of  those 
subject  to  his  humors  that,  as  has  been  told  in  preceding 
pages,  an  earnest  remonstrance  against  his  promotion,  signed 
by  nearly  every  line  officer,  had  been  received  by  Governor 
Yates.  The  news  of  the  futility  of  this  attempt  to  limit  the 
continuance  of  an  unreasoning  despotism,  though  not  unex 
pected,  was  far  from  inspiriting.  Five  officers,  among  them 
some  of  the  best  manhood  in  the  regiment,  resigned,  and  were 
shortly  after  lost  to  the  service.  They  were  Captains  Joseph 
Black,  Timothy  Slattery  and  William  F.  Cootes,  and  Lieuten 
ants  Elijah  C.  Lawrence  and  Henry  A.  Smith.  Captains  Black 


RUNNING    THE    BLOCKADE.  215 

and  Slattery,  the  two  senior  captains,  were  officers  whose 
sturdiness  of  character,  military  capacity,  and  wisdom  in  the 
management  of  men,  were  a  grievous  loss.  The  three  others 
bore  honorable  scars  received  in  the  front  of  battle.  Special 
Order  105  of  the  War  Department,  dated  March  5,  1863, 
mustered  out  of  the  service  six  first-lieutenants  who  had  been 
left  behind  at  Memphis,  sick  or  on  detached  duty.  This 
order  discharged  them  "for  alleged  disability,  to  date  from 
November  26,  1862,  they  having  failed  to  file  the  necessary 
certificates."  They  were:  John  H.  Fillmore,  Josiah  E.  Keyes, 
Daniel  Mclntosh,  Albert  F.  Merrill,  Joseph  W.  Parks,  Joseph 
R.  Roberts.  Without  doubt  they  must  be  considered  victims 
to  the  unjust  prejudice  of  an  autocratic  colonel,  whose  per 
sonal  reports  to  the  War  Department  respecting  them  effected 
a  discharge  which  they  had  not  sought.  They  had  shown 
themselves  earnest  patriots,  and  were  intelligent,  worthy 
young  men,  who,  under  other  auspices,  would  have  won 
larger  honors.  Brave  and  competent  soldiers,  meriting  pro 
motion  for  their  battle  records,  succeeded  to  the  numerous 
vacancies  as  they  occurred;  but  the  departures  were  none 
the  less  deplored,  and  the  sundering  of  many  friendly  ties 
that  had  been  welded  in  the  heat  of  such  experience  as  the 
Fifty-fifth  had  passed  through  together,  left  disheartening 
wounds  slow  to  heal  among  those  constrained  to  remain. 

The  wearisome  camp  routine  during  February  was  stirred 
with  few  excitements  or  alleviations  more  noteworthy  than 
the  coming  of  a  mail  from  the  North,  a  learned  (?)  discus 
sion  in  the  officers'  debating  society,  the  killing  of  a  poison 
ous  snake  among  the  tents,  or  rumors  of  a  marvelous  cut-off 
at  Lake  Providence  or  the  Yazoo  Pass,  which  was  expected 
to  drink  up  the  Mississippi.  At  times  some  movement  in 
Admiral  Porter's  fleet  awakened  general  curiosity; — and 
curiosity  rose  to  admiration  and  rejoicing  on  the  morning  of 
the  second  of  the  month,  when  the  Queen  of  the  West,  a 
side-wheel  unarmored  ram,  commanded  by  Colonel  Charles 
R.  Ellet,  was  seen,  apparently  loaded  with  bales  of  cotton, 
steaming  down  past  Vicksburg  and  audaciously  running  the 
gauntlet  of  the  batteries  which,  with  much  sulphurous  smoke 
and  infernal  din,  objected  uselessly  during  the  hour  she  was 


2l6  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

within  their  jurisdiction.  During  the  night  of  the  thirteenth 
all  were  awakened  by  the  thunder  of  the  same  batteries,  and 
saw  the  hills  appearing  through  the  darkness  like  active  vol 
canoes  in  miniature,  belching  flames  and  iron  missiles  towards 
some  object  in  the  river  below.  The  news  quickly  spread 
that  the  Indianola,  a  powerful  ironclad,  had  successfully  fol 
lowed  the  ram.  Both  soon  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
Three  or  four  days  later  eight  thirteen-inch  mortars,  mounted 
upon  rafts,  opened  fire  upon  the  town,  and  kept  up  the  bom 
bardment  night  and  day  almost  continuously  thereafter,  until 
the  surrender. 

Again  on  the  eleventh  of  March  the  batteries  of  Vicks- 
burg  woke  the  Union  camps  by  their  vigorous  and  prolonged 
bombardment  of  some  object  to  us  invisible.  This  proved 
to  be  an  enormous  sham  ironclad,  which  had  been  fabricated 
in  Admiral  Porter's  fleet  and  set  afloat  down  the  stream  to 
trick  the  rebel  gunners.  It  was  founded  upon  an  old  barge. 
Its  two  stacks  were  made  of  hogsheads  wrapped  about  with 
blackened  canvas,  and  poured  out  a  thick  black  smoke  from 
kettles  of  burning  tar  hung  within  them.  Big  quaker  guns 
peered  from  the  port-holes  of  an  imitation  casemate,  and 
huge  mock  wheel-houses  bore  a  derisive  legend  for  rebels. 
Such  feverish  alarm  did  this  burlesque  naval  monster  produce 
among  the  enemy  that  it  may  be  set  down  as  the  best  prac 
tical  joke  of  the  war.  Being  at  the  mercy  of  every  eddy,  it 
chanced  after  passing  Vicksburg  to  be  thrown  over  to  our 
side  of  the  river,  and  came  to  land  just  below  the  mouth  of 
the  canal.  Company  B  of  the  Fifty-fifth  happened  to  be  on 
picket  duty  at  that  point,  and  very  early  in  the  morning, 
seeing  this  strange  black  object,  looming  large  through  the 
dense  fog,  the  men  supposed  it  one  of  Porter's  boats.  A 
sentinel,  Charles  S.  Vandervert,  making  a  closer  inspection, 
discovered  the  real  nature  of  their  voiceless  visitor,  and  aided 
by  his  comrades  succeeded  with  poles  in  pushing  it  off  the 
bank  and  swinging  it  around  until  it  was  caught  by  the  cur 
rent  from  the  canal  and  borne  away  into  the  main  channel, 
headed  straight  for  Warrenton.  Just  then  the  sun  rose, 
slowly  dissipating  the  heavy  curtain  of  mist  that  enshrouded 
the  river.  The  rebel  artillerists  caught  a  glimpse  of  the 


THE    SHAM    IRONCLAD.  217 

black  bugaboo  steadily  approaching,  silent  and  mysterious 
as  Fate,  and  opened  fire  upon  it  from  every  available  gun. 
The  ram  Queen  of  the  West,  a  few  weeks  before  captured 
from  us  and  refitted,  which  had  come  up  to  Warrenton  to 
procure  some  tools  needed  in  the  work  of  raising  the  sunken 
Indianola  a  few  miles  below,  at  sight  of  this  appalling  appari 
tion  advancing  unharmed  by  the  tons  of  iron  hurled  upon  it, 
turned  and  fled  at  her  utmost  speed.  Reaching  the  Indianola 
that  valuable  gunboat  was  hurriedly  blown  up,  and  the  Queen 
of  the  West,  with  her  consort,  the  Webb,  under  full  head  of 
steam,  hurried  south  before  the  dread  unknown.  This  was 
the  first  naval  victory  in  which  Fifty-fifth  men  were  prime 
factors,  and  by  it  they  got  neither  salvage  nor  prize  money, 
nor  even  "bubble  reputation."  They  may  of  right  claim, 
however,  that  they  caused  the  destruction  of  the  Indianola, 
and  thereby  prevented  a  dangerous  reenforcement  of  the 
rebel  navy  on  the  Mississippi. 

Newspapers  were  regularly  received  in  camp,  and  often 
were  found  to  contain  letters  "from  the  front,"  giving  darkly 
colored  description  of  hardships  endured  by  the  soldiers, 
discouraging  accounts  of  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  army, 
or  complaints  of  its  inaction,  and  even  slanderous  sugges 
tions  of  inefficiency  or  worse  in  the  commander.  Sometimes 
grand  strategic  movements  warranted  to  give  us  Vicksburg 
instanter,  were  urged  upon  the  War  Department  —  move 
ments  all  too  evidently  planned  upon  a  copy  of  Mitchell's 
school  atlas.  Such  blind  guides  sadly  misled  the  public, 
gave  comfort  to  the  foe,  and  exerted  a  seriously  demoraliz 
ing  effect  upon  the  Union  army  in  general.  But  the  veterans 
of  the  Fifty-fifth,  like  most  who  had  long  served  with  Sher 
man,  had  learned  to  sympathize  with  "Uncle  Billy's"  con 
tempt  for  the  average  newspaper  reporter  as  an  "eye  witness" 
depicter  of  battles,  or  an  unbiased  chronicler  of  anything. 
The  remembrance  that  their  heroism  and  almost  unparalleled 
sacrifice  at  Shiloh  was  practically  ignored  by  the  press  at  the 
time,  and  that  their  brigade  or  division  rarely  got  more  .than 
bare  honorable  mention  from  any  paper,  seemed  to  them  full 
justification  for  scepticism  respecting  letters  wherein  sundry 
exaggerations  and  the  tenor  of  praise  and  blame  pointed  to 


2l8  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

the  probability  that  the  correspondent's  news  had  been 
inspired  by  generous  hospitality  at  the  headquarters  of  one 
of  our  political  generals.  Experience  in  other  ways  also 
warranted  their  suspicions  of  special  communications  dated 
"under  fire,"  but  which  bore  internal  evidence  of  having  been 
written  far  from  the  smell  of  powder,  in  the  cabin  of  a  corps 
quartermaster's  supply  boat,  or  a  hospital  where  sanitary 
stores  were  handy,  and  the  stories  of  the  homesick  or  demor 
alized  made  a  convenient  woof  in  the  weaving  of  an  article. 

The  great  state  of  Illinois  was  that  winter  disgraced  by  a 
copperhead  majority  in  the  legislature.  A  rugged  speech 
made  by  the  patriotic  Isaac  Funk,  in  the  senate,  was  printed 
and  circulated  among  the  troops  from  that  state,  exciting 
great  enthusiasm. 

The  rank  and  file  throughout  the  armies  had  by  this  time 
become  sharp  critics  of  the  political  policy  of  relying  exclu 
sively  upon  a  volunteer  system  for  the  suppression  of  the 
rebellion.  Most  soldiers  could  point  to  neighbors  unexempt 
by  any  natural  law,  who  had  thus  far  evaded  all  share  in  the 
public  burden,  and  were  reaping  in  domestic  ease  and  safety 
a  golden  harvest  by  shrewdly  taking  full  advantage  of  the 
public  exigencies.  With  reason  they  pointedly  asked  why 
the  public-spirited  and  willing  patriots  should  pay  the  whole 
blood  tax  for  the  nation,  permitting  the  faithless  and  selfish, 
though  bound  by  the  same  allegiance,  to  escape  by  the  pay 
ment  at  most  of  a  money  tithe  out  of  the  rich  rewards  offered 
at  the  rear  to  the  shrewd  speculator  and  dishonest  contractor, 
as  well  as  to  the  thrifty  and  energetic  worker  and  tradesman. 
The  army  was  in  the  spirit  to  hail  with  enthusiasm  the  en 
forcement  of  a  draft  fairly  distributing  the  burden  of  toil 
and  peril,  as  taxation  did  the  money  cost  of  war,  upon  all 
men  alike.  But  the  cowardly  and  traitorous  cry  for  concilia 
tion  and  compromise  had  few  sympathizers,  in  the  Fifty-fifth 
at  least. 

A  disloyal  sheet  published  in  Fulton  county  printed  a 
lugubrious  letter  from  Daniel  Hedges  of  Company  D,  which 
was  sent  to  the  colonel  by  a  lady,  with  a  note  asking  if  the 
troops  were  really  in  the  miserable  plight  and  discontented 
spirit  set  forth  in  that  soldier's  screed.  The  whole  subject 


COPPERHEADS    REBUKED.  219 

was  laid  before  the  regiment,  and  the  enlisted  men  were  so 
furious  against  their  maligner  that  he  narrowly  escaped  lynch 
ing.  The  following  patriotic  resolutions  —  the  original  draft 
of  which  is  found  in  the  hand-writing  of  Captain  L.  B. 
Crooker — were  passed,  on  the  same  day  that  President  Lin 
coln  signed  the  Draft  Act,  and  sent  to  the  Illinois  newspapers. 
Hedges,  contemptuously  spurned  by  all  his  comrades,  was 
thereafter  forced  to  tent  and  eat  by  himself: 

CAMP  OF  THE  55TH  REGT.  ILL.  VOLS., 
YOUNG'S  POINT,  LA.,  March  4th,  1863. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  55th  Regt.  111.  Vols.,  of  which  Col.  Oscar  Malmborg 
was  elected  chairman,  and  Chaplain  M.  L.  Haney,  secretary,  held  March 
3d,  1863,  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  were  adopted  without  a 
dissenting  vote  : — 

Whereas,  the  ordeal  through  which  our  nation  is  passing  is  a  very 
trying  one,  indicating  the  necessity  of  union  upon  the  part  of  its  friends 
against  all  enemies  whatsoever ;  and  whereas  certain  diabolical  agencies 
have  been  operating  to  divide  and  paralyze  the  defensive  powers  of  the  , 
government,  and  in  order  to  accomplish  dastardly  ends,  would  make  the 
impression  upon  the  public  mind  that  those  who  have  been  ready  to 
sacrifice  their  all  upon  their  country's  altar,  and  have  stood  midst  the 
desolating  agencies  of  the  bloody  field  for  the  rescue  of  her  flag  and  the 
perpetuity  of  her  institutions,  are  now  ready  to  bend  the  knee  like  craven 
cowards  to  those  who  have  menaced  our  liberties  and  murdered  our 
brothers ;  and  whereas,  through  the  kind  agency  of  some  unknown 
Christian  patriot  of  the  city  of  Canton,  111.,  a  copy  of  the  Fulton  County 
Ledger  has  been  furnished  the  colonel  of  our  regiment, —  accompanied 
by  a  very  appropriate  patriotic  note, —  containing  an  article  headed 
"Camp  Correspondence"  and  signed:  "D.  H.,"  the  author  claiming  to  be 
a  member  of  the  55th  Regiment,  and  to  represent  its  views,  which  article, 
on  account  of  its  falsehood  and  its  cowardly  truckling,  is  highly  discred 
itable  to  the  character  of  our  regiment ;  and  whereas,  said  paper  circu 
lates  in  communities  largely  represented  by  the  55th  Regiment ;  there 
fore, — 

Resolved,  That  we  have  left  our  homes  and  separated  from  our 
avocations  for  the  defence  of  the  best  government  upon  the  earth. 

Resolved,  That  the  present  rebellion  against  the  rightful  authority  of 
the  United  States  of  America,  is  unparalleled  for  its  atrocity  in  the  annals 
of  the  world. 

Resolved,  That  all  sympathizers  with  armed  traitors  are  our  enemies, 
and,  in  proportion  to  the  sympathy  rendered,  they  are  weakening  our 
hands,  nerving  the  rebel  arms  and  making  our  conflict  prolonged  and 
terrible. 

Resolved,  That  the  same  reasons  which  prompted  us  to  stand  unflinch- 


220  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

ing  at  Shiloh,  Russells'  House,  Corinth,  Chickasaw  Bayou  and  Arkansas 
Post,  will  nerve  us  for  each  succeeding  conflict  until  we  witness  the  death 
agonies  of  this  godless  rebellion. 

Resolved,  That  we  will  heartily  sustain  the  administration  in  each 
and  every  effort  put  forth  consistent  with  the  laws  of  civil  warfare,  for 
the  suppression  of  rebellion,  and  we  hail  with  gladness  the  Conscript 
Laws  of  Congress,  hoping  thereby  all  vacant  ranks  will  be  filled,  treason 
speedily  annihilated  and  the  majesty  of  the  law  vindicated. 

Resolved,  That,  for  reasons  indicated  in  the  preamble,  we  denounce 
the  execrable  article  of  Daniel  Hedges,  and  regret  that  its  drunken, 
vulgar  author  should  mar  the  beauty  of  our  ranks ;  and  that  those  of  us 
who  have  been  personally  acquainted  with  him,  both  at  home  and  in  the 
army,  know  him  to  be  better  clothed,  better  fed  and  less  drunk,  as  well 
as  less  a  vagrant  here  than  elsewhere. 

Resolved,  That  a  vote  of  thanks  is  hereby  tendered  to  our  patriotic 
friend  of  Canton,  for  the  interest  taken  in  our  regimental  honor ;  to  the 
government  for  leaving  none  of  our  wants  unsupplied  ;  and  to  all  who 
rejoice  at  our  success  and  weep  over  our  misfortunes,  assuring  such  that 
to  the  end  we  are  one  and  inseparable. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  proceedings  be  furnished  for  publica 
tion  in  the  Fulton  County  Ledger,  Canton  Register  and  Fulton  Democrat. 
O.  MALMBORG,  Colonel  commanding 5$th  III.  Vols., 

M.  L.  HANEY,  Chaplain,  Chairman. 

Secretary. 

The  Confederates  had  early  attempted  by  breaking  the 
levees  to  flood  the  low  lying  lands,  and  had  loudly  proclaimed 
that  they  would  drown  us  out  of  our  camps  like  muskrats  out 
of  their  holes.  Their  attempts  had  availed  little  save  to 
widen  the  bayous  into  lakes,  and  to  relieve  us  from  need  of 
picketing  our  rear.  We  were  slowly  developing  into  semi- 
amphibians;  but  suddenly,  on  the  seventh  of  March,  the 
river  burst  through  its  artificial  bounds  at  the  junction  of  the 
old  with  the  new  embankment  at  the  head  of  the  canal,  and 
chased  the  troops  upon  the  levee.  Along  the  inner  slope  of 
this  mound  the  Fifty-fifth  formed  a  huddled,  uncomfortable 
camp.  The  tents  were  by  necessity  placed  on  the  steep 
incline,  for  the  narrow  crest  had  to  be  reserved  as  the  only 
possible  thoroughfare  for  the  troops.  This  necessitated  the 
removal  of  head-boards  and  the  leveling  of  graves,  many  of 
which  there  were  upon  the  levee,  the  only  dry  ground  in  a 
water-logged  land.  Here,  on  the  twelfth,  Major  Hazeltine 
distributed  four  months'  pay. 


AT    GREAT    AMERICAN    BEND.  221 

The  next  day  the  regiment  was  ordered  on  board  the 
steamboats,  D.  A.  Tatum,  Fanny  Bullitt  and  Champion, 
leaving  convalescents  in  charge  of  the  camp,  and  moved  up 
the  river  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  to  the 
Great  American,  or  —  as  the  boatmen  generally  preferred  to 
style  it  —  Shirt-tail  Bend.  There  we  disembarked  at  the 
landing  of  the  extensive  Worthington  plantations  and  took 
possession  of  large  amounts  of  corn  and  sugar,  scores  of 
hogs,  nine  hundred  head  of  cattle,  and  over  five  thousand 
bales  of  cotton.  The  last  was  discovered  in  three  huge  piles 
in  the  woods  four  or  five  miles  from  the  river,  the  place  of 
its  concealment  having  been  revealed  by  slaves  attached  to 
the  plantation.  Tfye  bales  were  all  marked  C.  S.  A.  On  the 
fifteenth  the  outposts  had  an  unimportant  skirmish  with  a 
company  of  Confederate  cavalry,  and  mounted  scouts  were 
constantly  hovering  about  during  our  stay.  Colonel  Malm- 
borg  finding  himself  the  senior  officer  of  an  independent 
expedition,  proceeded  at  once  to  magnify  his  opportunity, 
and  began  the  development  of  an  elaborate  Halleckian 
policy  in  his  department.  And  first  he  set  about  planning 
and  constructing  a  fort  in  the  swamp.  About  the  time  this 
redoubt  assumed  shape,  Captain  E.  D.  Osband  of  General 
Grant's  staff  who  was  present,  found  it  advisable  to  send  for 
Colonel  T.  E.  G.  Ransom,  then  at  Lake  Providence.  He 
appeared  on  the  eighteenth,  bringing  with  him  detachments 
of  the  Eleventh  Illinois  and  Fourteenth  Wisconsin  Infantry, 
and  took  command.  While  here  his  commission  as  brigadier- 
general  arrived.  Additional  boats  were  sent  for  from  Milli- 
ken's  Bend,  and  during  ten  days  all  worked  diligently  hauling 
the  confiscated  property  to  the  landing  and  loading  it  upon 
the  transports.  The  soldiers  lacked  no  creature  comforts  in 
this  land  of  abundance ;  but  some  of  them,  reasoning  from 
the  stand-point  of  hard  work,  thirteen  dollars  a  month  and 
no  prize  money,  made  wry  faces  when,  as  they  tumbled  the 
cotton  from  the  army  wagons  at  the  landing,  they  saw  a  gold- 
laced  official  from  the  "tin-clad"  gunboat  in  the  stream, 
standing  by  with  pot  and  brush  to  mark  each  bale  in  staring 
capitals: — "Captured  by  the  U.  S.  Navy." 

The   extensive    negro    quarters  of   the    plantations   were 


222  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

occupied  by  motley  battalions  of  slaves  of  all  shades  and 
ages,  whose  excited  manifestations  of  feeling  at  the  coming 
among  them  of  the  "Linkum  army,"  were  by  turns  intensely 
ludicrous  or  pathetic.  We  had  here  a  rare  opportunity  to 
study  the  characteristics  of  the  negro  race,  and  especially 
their  religious  fervor  ;  for  abounding  joy  at  the  loosing  of 
their  bonds  broke  out  in  rapturous  song  and  prayers  of  thanks 
giving.  The  chosen  preacher  of  the  community  was  a  note 
worthy  character  in  his  line,  and  probably  selected,  as  usual, 
because  ready  with  a  glib  answer  to  every  possible  question 
upon  theology  or  biblical  exegesis.  One  evening  several  of 
the  regiment  attending  the  meeting  at  the  quarters  were 
surprised  to  hear  him,  while  wrestling  Jn  prayer,  use  the 
expressions: — O  Lord  !  come  down  and  jine  with  us;  come 
down  mongst  us  hyar.  Come  two  Lords,  come  three  Lords, 
O  come  down!"  The  next  day  one  seeing  him  asked  if  he 
believed  there  was  more  than  one  Lord.  "Sutny,  massa," 
said  the  old  man,  "sutny ;  gret  many  Lords  ;  don  know  how 
many,  but  jes  ez  many  Lords  ez  debils;  an  doan  de  scripter 
tell  how  seben  debils  wuz  carse  out  o  won  pusson  ?" 

The  Fifty-fifth,  returning  upon  the  Von  Phul,  landed  at 
Milliken's  Bend  on  the  twenty-fifth,  and  marched  down  the 
levee  to  its  old  camp  the  next  day.  Upon  the  boat  during 
the  journey  unusually  noisy  hilarity  among  the  men  led  to 
the  discovery  that,  although  no  rations  of  strong  drink  had 
been  issued  for  a  long  time — except  to  field  officers — canteens 
containing  something  exhilarating  were  passing  from  hand  to 
hand  and  mouth  to  mouth.  A  single  barrel  containing  whis 
key  stood  among  the  commissary  stores  on  the  deck  in  plain 
sight,  apparently  undisturbed;  but  upon  examination  a  con 
siderable  portion  of  its  contents  had  disappeared.  A  picked 
squad  of  the  fittest,  having  slily  made  careful  measurements 
to  fix  the  geographic  position  of  the  barrel  relatively  to  the 
hatchway,  had  gained  access  to  the  hold  with  a  small  auger, 
and  boring  up  through  the  floor  into  the  cask,  inserted  a 
piece  of  cane  as  a  faucet  and  issued  rations  without  formality 
of  surgeon's  orders.  An  investigation  failed  to  discover  the 
depredators. 

During  our  absence  the  other  regiments  of  Stuart's  divis- 


FARRAGUT'S    VISIT.  223 

ion  had  been  sent  out  with  a  combined  naval  and  land  expe 
dition  up  Steele's  Bayou,  in  search  of  a  navigable  passage 
through  the  labyrinth  of  creeks  in  the  Yazoo  wilderness,  to 
some  point  flanking  the  fortifications  at  Raines's  Bluff.  Com 
ing  back  unsuccessful  from  their  laborious  and  exciting  trip 
on  the  twenty-seventh,  a  novel  and  inspiriting  sight  met 
them.  A  short  distance  below  the  southern  end  of  the  canal 
—which  had  been  abandoned  as  a  complete  military  and 
engineering  failure  some  days  before  —  were  anchored  two 
war  vessels  from  Farragut's  fleet,  the  Hartford  and  Albatross. 
The  admiral's  pennant  waved  over  the  former.  With  taper 
masts  overtopping  the  trees  and  their  gracefully  curved  hulls 
standing  high  above  the  water-line,  they  formed  a  marked 
and  pleasing  contrast  to  the  frail,  light-draft  stern  and  side- 
wheel  river  steamers,  the  tin-clad  mosquito  boats,  the  rams 
and  iron-clad  "turtles,"  which  made  up  the  fleet  of.  Admiral 
D.  D.  Porter.  The  next  day  the  two  vessels  steamed  down 
out  of  view  again,  and  the  booming  of  their  guns  in  reply  to 
the  hostile  salute  of  the  batteries  at  Grand  Gulf  was  their 
final  good-bye  to  Vicksburg  and  Grant's  army. 

Work  upon  the  Duck-Point  canal  to  connect  Walnut  Bayou 
with  the  Mississippi  at  a  point  four  or  five  miles  above  the 
Young's-Point  canal,  was  begun  early  in  April,  and  the  regi 
ment  having  moved  its  camp  a  mile  or  more  north  to  dry 
ground  near  the  levee,  was  frequently  called  upon  to  aid  in 
its  excavation.  This  water-way  was  to  be  two  miles  long, 
sixty  feet  wide  and  nine  feet  deep,  and  would  enable  light 
transports  to  pass  by  a  circuitous  route  into  the  river  at  New 
Carthage;  but  on  account  of  a  sudden  fall  of  several  feet  in 
the  waters,  it  never  was  completed.  It  served,  like  the 
former  canals,  only  to  give  abundant  exercise  to  the  troops, 
turn  their  eyes  from  too  constantly  gazing  at  the  discourag 
ing  landscape  presented  by  Vicksburg's  impregnable  front, 
and  satisfy  the  insatiable  demands  of  the  general  public  for 
experimental  schemes. 

On  the  fourth  of  April,  Major-General  Frank  P.  Blair 
assumed  command  of  the  division  —  the  Second  of  the  Fif 
teenth  Army  Corps — relieving  David  Stuart,  whose  appoint 
ment  as  brigadier-general,  dated  November  29th,  1862,  had 


224  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

been  refused  confirmation  by  the  Senate,  March  nth,  1863. 
From  this  date  General  Stuart  disappears  from  the  history  of 
the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  Volunteers,  and  from  army  annals. 
For  fully  six  months  he  had  performed  the  duties  of  a  brigade 
or  division  commander,  and  General  Sherman  in  his  "Mem 
oirs"  speaks  of  him  in  terms  of  high  esteem.  His  autocratic 
sway  and  unscrupulous  self-seeking,  however,  inspired  fear 
rather  than  affection,  and  perhaps  the  majority  of  his  regi 
ment  felt  little  sympathy  for  the  proud-spirited  man  as  he 
left,  bitterly  disappointed  of  his  chief  ambition  in  life;  but 
they  at  least  recognized  the  fact  that  his  great  natural  abili 
ties,  energy  in  organization,  and  early  services,  had  been  ill 
requited.  He  died  of  apoplexy,  at  Detroit,  Michigan,  Sep 
tember  nth,  1868.  His  farewell  order  follows: 

HEADQUARTERS  20  Div.  15™  ARMY  CORPS,  ) 
YOUNG'S  POINT,  3d  April,  1863.  > 

General  Order  No.  6. 

SOLDIERS  OF  THE  SECOND  DIVISION  :  The  order  is  today  pub 
lished,  which  relieves  me  of  command.  In  taking  leave  of  you,  I  cannot 
refrain  from  expressing,  in  orders,  the  strong  sentiment  of  interest  and 
attachment  which  I  cherish  for  you,  and  the  sincere  regret  with  which  I 
part  from  you.  I  do  not  desert,  or  abandon  willingly,  the  defence  of  a 
cause  we  have  so  long  maintained  together.  I  do  not,  of  my  own  pleas 
ure,  leave  you  whom  I  brought  into  the  field,  nor  you  whom  I  have  labored 
to  fit  for  its  duties,  to  encounter  its  perils  and  hardships,  unshared  by 
your  leader.  No  exigency  of  private  convenience  or  affairs  could  have 
withdrawn  me  from  my  duty  to  you  and  our  beloved  country.  We  con 
tend  for  the  supremacy  of  our  Government,  for  absolute  and  unqualified 
submission  to  its  law.  That  law  retires  me  from  your  command  and 
from  the  service.  It  does  not  become  you,  or  me,  to  debate  or  discuss  its 
wisdom  or  its  justice.  Our  submission  must  be  at  once  respectful  and 
cheerful  —  but  the  same  country  which  has  dispensed  with  the  services  of 
your  commander,  commands  your  continued  and  patriotic  endeavor. 

Veterans  of  so  many  well  fought  fields  —  earnest,  brave  and  disci 
plined  soldiers  —  you  will  not  fail  to  achieve  the  destiny  which  your 
endurance,  chivalry  and  pride  assure  me  is  yours.  Sooner  or  later  you 
will  be  hailed  by  your  countrymen  with  grateful  acclaim,  where  you  may 
seem  now  to  be  deemed  as  the  pensioners  of  their  bounty.  Abide  fast 
by  your  honor  and  your  flag  !  Confide  in  the  justice  of  your  holy  mission, 
and  in  the  wise  purposes  of  a  Providence,  who  rules  and  governs  the 
nations  of  the  earth,  and  who  will  so  direct  your  arms  that  the  haughty 
and  traitorous  disturbers  of  your  country's  peace  and  happiness  shall  be 
humbled  and  crushed  at  your  feet,  and  you  will  soon  be  returned  to  the 


PASSING    THE    BATTERIES.  225 

loving  embrace  of  your  families  and  friends,  whose  highest  aspirations, 
whose  proudest  hopes,  you  shall  fulfill  and  realize. 

I  leave  you,  fellow  soldiers,  proud  to  have  been  your  leader;  proud  in 
the  consciousness  of  having  done  my  duty  faithfully  with  you,  and  cher 
ishing  with  lively  gratitude  the  demonstrations  of  confidence,  of  personal 
regard  and  affection  with  which  you  have  sought  to  qualify  with  me  the 
pain  of  separation,  or  the  supposed  indignity  of  my  official  retirement. 
I  shall  remain  mindful  of  your  perils,  toils  and  hardships;  my  sympathy 
and  concernment  for  you  my  absence  will  not  abate,  and  in  some  sphere 
I  may  hope  to  serve  you,  if  only  in  the  humble,  though  not  unimportant 
character  of  "  Rear  Guard."  Farewell ! 

By  order  of  Brig.-Gen.  D.  STUART,  Com.  2d  Division. 

C.  MCDONALD,  Asst.  Adjt-Gen. 

On  April  nth  the  regiment  was  paid  by  Major  Clark,  and 
on  the  1 3th  General  Blair  reviewed  his  division.  The  waters 
were  now  slowly  receding  into  their  proper  channels,  daily 
drills  and  parades  were  resumed,  and  spades  and  axes  were 
again  called  into  action;  not,  however,  to  deepen  canals  or 
open  bayous,  but  to  extend  corduroy  roads  and  build  bridges. 
From  Milliken's  Bend  came  news  of  the  movement  of  the 
Thirteenth  Corps  past  our  rear,  southward.  Unusual  activity 
in  the  fleet  betokened  preparations  for  running  the  blockade 
in  force,  and  that  this  was  proposed  was  made  certain  by  a 
call  for  volunteer  boatmen  from  among  the  soldiers,  the 
crews  of  the  transports  generally  declining  the  dangerous 
service.  At  midnight  of  the  sixteenth  we  witnessed,  from  a 
safe  distance  but  as  intensely  interested  spectators,  the  most 
terrific  yet  grand  scene  of  the  war  in  the  West  —  the  passing 
the  batteries  at  Vicksburg  by  Admiral  Porter  with  eight 
gunboats  and  three  transports.  Each  of  the  latter  was  pro 
tected  with  bales  of  cotton  and  hay,  and  had  in  tow  large 
barges  loaded  with  provisions  and  forage.  For  two  hours  and 
a  half  the  heights  were  all  ablaze;  bonfires  were  kindled  along 
the  shore  as  soon  as  the  leading  gunboat  was  discovered,  and 
brightly  illumined  the  river  and  town.  The  rebel  cannoniers 
fired  their  guns  with  the  utmost,  rapidity,  and  the  ironclads 
briskly  replied.  Soon  the  transport  Henry  Clay  burst  into 
flames;  but  all  the  other  vessels  could  be  seen  finally  passing 
down,  apparently  safe.  The  next  morning  we  learned  that 
with  all  the  thunderous  uproar  and  lavish  burning  of  villain- 
15 


226  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

ous  saltpetre,  not  a  man  had  been  killed  in  the  fleet  and  only 
eight  had  been  wounded,  although  every  boat  and  barge  had 
been  hit,  and  more  than  once.  It  seemed  little  short  of 
miraculous.  On  the  twenty-second  the  same  scene,  but  upon 
a  smaller  scale,  was  repeated,  six  transports  with  double  that 
number  of  barges  daring  the  perilous  trip.  Five  of  the 
former  and  half  of  the  latter  reached  their  destination  little 
damaged. 

The  bold  strategy  of  our  reticent  commander  was  unfold 
ing  itself  before  us.  The  various  schemes  for  circumventing 
the  Mississippi  Gibraltar  by  means  of  canals  and  bayous  had 
been  perseveringly  tried,  and  all  had  signally  failed.  Now 
the  falling  waters  precluded  further  attempts  of  the  kind, 
but  there  was  to  be  no  step  backward.  Flank  movements 
from  the  northward  were  to  be  abandoned,  and  the  field  of 
operations  transferred  to  some  point  below.  This  much  was 
disclosed  to  us  by  the  large  store  of  army  supplies  sent  down 
in  the  barges,  and  the  prospect  of  a  change  of  base  was 
hailed  with  universal  joy. 

The  Adjutant-General  of  the  United  States  Army,  Lorenzo 
Thomas,  was  at  this  time  making  a  tour  through  the  Western 
camps  to  ascertain  the  prevailing  sentiment  among  rank  and 
file  respecting  the  proposed  employment  of  negro  troops, 
and  to  promote  the  organization  of  colored  regiments  under 
white  officers.  April  2 1st  the  question  was  submitted  to  the 
division  of  General  Blair,  assembled  for  the  purpose  and 
massed  in  hollow  square  to  hear  various  speakers  upon  the 
subject.  An  army  wagon  served  as  a  rostrum.  The  chief 
address  was  made  by  General  Thomas.  Following  him  came 
General  Sherman,  who  called  upon  the  soldiers  present  to 
bear  witness  that  wherever  he  had  exercised  chief  authority 
no  fugitive  slave  had  ever  been  reman'ded  to  bondage;  but 
that  he  had  always  and  everywhere  encouraged  the  employ 
ment  of  the  colored  race  as  teamsters,  cooks,  laborers  and 
officers'  servants.  He  strongly  favored  their  employment  as 
soldiers.  Colonel  Benjamin  Spooner  made  a  telling,  com 
mon-sense  address,  and  was  succeeded  by  a  German  colonel, 
who  spoke  eloquently  in  his  native  tongue  to  those  best 
understanding  that  language.  At  the  final  taking  of  a  vote 


OFFICERS    OF    COLORED    TROOPS.  227 

upon  the  question,  every  man  of  the  Fifty-fifth  save  one, 
Michael  Lyon  of  Company  G,  declared  himself  in  favor  of 
arming  the  negro. 

A  few  in  the  regiment  avowed  their  intention  to  seek 
commissions  in  the  proposed  organizations  of  colored  men. 
Richard  Taylor  was  commissioned  first-lieutenant  of  the  First 
Mississippi  Cavalry,  to  date  from  October  2,  1863.  This  reg 
iment,  under  Colonel  E.  D.  Osband,  gained  repute  as  the 
Third  U.  S.  C.  C.  Taylor  was  promoted  to  a  captaincy  May 
29th,  1864,  and  resigned  January  I5th,  1865.  Orderly-sergeant 
James  M.  Shreves  was  detached  with  the  Fiftieth  U.  S.  C.  T. 
at  Vicksburg,  and  died  August  iQth,  1863,  acting  as  quarter 
master-sergeant  while  awaiting  his  commission.  He  was  a 
brave  and  wholly  unexceptional  soldier,  a  young  man  of 
sterling  character  and  ability.  He  had  been  chosen  orderly- 
sergeant  of  the  company  at  its  organization,  but  prejudice  in 
the  appointing  power  had  long  kept  him  from  deserved  pro 
motion;  and  this  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  was  wounded  at 
Shiloh,  and  then  received  honorable  mention  for  bravery  in 
the  battle  report  from  that  same  power.  But  for  this  unex- 
plainable  prejudice  he  would  at  his  death  have  been  captain 
of  Company  F,  and  would  have  graced  the  position.  John 
Cadwallader  was  commissioned  second-lieutenant  of  the 
Second  Mississippi  Colored.  Silas  S.  Garrett  was  transferred 
to  the  First  Tennessee  Heavy  Artillery,  December  nth,  1863, 
and  became  first-lieutenant.  The  regiment  was  stationed  at 
Memphis.  Amos  Sanford  was  made  second-lieutenant  in  the 
Twelfth  Louisiana  Colored,  in  October,  1863.  William  L.  Early 
was  also  a  second-lieutenant  in  the  last  named  regiment. 

April  29th,  ten  regiments  of  the  division  left  Young's 
Point  upon  such  transports  as  could  be  collected,  preceded 
by  the  ironclads  Baron  De  Kalb  and  Choctaw,  Admiral  Por 
ter's  flag-boat  Black  Hawk,  three  mortar  rafts,  the  wooden 
gunboat  Taylor,  and  certain  nondescript  black  craft  that  at  a 
distance  might  pass  for  gunboats.  The  Fifty-fifth  was 
assigned  to  the  Belle  City.  The  expedition  started  at  ten 
o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  steamed  up  the  Yazoo  fifteen  miles 
and  halted,  sending  out  pickets  along  the  shore,  and  the  next 
morning  proceeded  until  within  sight  of  the  fortifications  at 


228  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

Raines's  Bluff.  It  had  been  published  in  orders  that  a  feint 
only  was  to  be  made,  its  object  being  to  draw  attention  from 
the  operations  of  General  Grant  in  the  vicinity  of  Grand 
Gulf.  The  troops  were  landed  and  displayed  in  battle  line, 
skirmishers  were  sent  forward,  the  mortars  and  ironclads 
threw  shells  into  the  earth-works  crowning  the  hill,  and  noth 
ing  of  smoke,  noise  or  ostentatious  tactics  was  omitted  that 
could  aid  the  impression  that  an  assault  was  imminent.  The 
rebel  batteries  replied  to  the  gunboats  which  were  frequently 
struck,  and  solid  shot  rolled  through  our  lines.  One  man 
only  in  the  expedition  was  wounded,  and  he  but  slightly. 
There  was  obviously  great  excitement  among  the  camps  of 
the  enemy.  Their  works  were  extended  and  strengthened 
by  night,  and  additional  guns  were  mounted.  Re-enforce 
ments  were  seen  coming  up  from  the  direction  of  Vicksburg. 
In  fact,  as  we  afterwards  learned,  General  Pemberton  was 
fully  deceived,  and  troops  half  way  on  the  road  to  General 
Bowen  were  recalled  and  hurried  to  confront  us.  By  conse 
quence  the  latter  general's  little  army,  in  spite  of  its  stubborn 
resistance,  was  overborne  by  General  Grant's  advance,  and 
Port  Gibson  and  Grand  Gulf,  and  the  roads  between  Jackson 
and  Vicksburg  fell  the  more  easily  into  our  possession  be 
cause  of  this  ruse.  Our  demonstration  was  kept  up  until  the 
night  of  May  ist,  when,  having  accomplished  its  purpose, 
the  fleet  returned  as  it  came. 

Loading  our  camp  and  garrison  equipage  from  the  levee 
at  Young's  Point  upon  the  boat,  we  moved  to  Milliken's 
Bend,  and  there,  on  May  3d,  established  our  camp  about  a 
mile  in  rear  of  the  landing.  Despite  the  terribly  unfavorable 
sanitary  conditions  inseparable  from  the  locality,  and  the 
long  lists  of  the  sick  at  the  surgeon's  morning  call,  but  five 
men  of  the  regiment  found  graves  at  Young's  Point.  These 
were  Samuel  Piper  of  B,  Corporal  James  W.  Frazier  and 
Philip  Pitts  of  C,  Corporal  Joseph  Lightfoot  of  E,  and  J.  K. 
P.  Moneymaker  of  K.  Pitts  was  one  of  the  few  who  suc 
cumbed  to  the  loathsome  disease,  small-pox.  He  was  a 
manly  boy  enrolled  as  a  musician,  but  being  bravely  ambi 
tious  chose  to  serve  in  the  ranks.  Many  of  the  seriously  ill 
were  carried  north  upon  the  hospital  boats,  and  from  time  to 


MORGAN    L.  SMITH'S    VISIT.  229 

time  company  commanders  got  notice  of  the  death  of  some 
valued  comrade  in  the  great  hospitals  of  Memphis  and  St. 
Louis. 

In  our  new  camp  we  received  a  call  from  our  former  divis 
ion  commander,  Brigadier-General  Morgan  L.  Smith,  who 
left  us  at  Chickasaw  Bayou,  having  been  grievously  wounded. 
Hearing  of  his  arrival  on  a  steamer  from  Memphis,  and  that 
he  proposed  to  visit  the  troops,  Colonel  Malmborg  put  out 
scouts  to  give  timely  warning  of  his  approach,  and  drew  up 
the  regiment  on  the  parade.  We  waited  long,  but  at  last  the 
general  appeared,  riding  in  an  ambulance;  the  ranks  were 
opened  and  arms  presented.  The  colonel,  leaving  the  regi 
ment  standing  at  present,  hastened  to  aid  his  distinguished 
guest  to  alight,  and  began  to  address  him  with  verbose  con 
gratulation;  but  General  Smith,  leaning  on  his  crutches, 
pushed  him  aside  with  characteristic  brusqueness,  exclaiming, 
"O  hell !  I  didn't  come  out  here  to  see  you  officers.  How  are 
you,  boys?"  The  "boys, "without  waiting  for  orders,  instantly 
broke  ranks  and  flocked  around  their  crippled  chief,  eager  to 
shake  him  by  the  hand  and  listen  to  his  quaint  and  pungent 
remarks.  Among  other  things  touched  upon  in  his  uncon 
ventional  talk,  he  took  occasion  to  praise  in  generous  terms 
our  new  division  commander,  General  F.  P.  Blair,  probably 
surmising  that  our  prejudices  might  do  him  injustice,  his  ap 
pointment  being  notoriously  a  political  one.  After  a  brief 
stay  the  general  hobbled  to  his  ambulance  again,  and  rode 
away  amid  hearty  cheers. 

It  was  understood  that  General  Blair's  division  would  re 
main  to  guard  Milliken's  Bend  until  the  arrival  of  other 
forces  from  Memphis,  and  we  elaborated  and  polished  our 
camp,  anticipating  a  stay  of  weeks;  but  on  the  fifth  the  regi 
ment  was  ordered  five  miles  west  to  Lomm's  Plantation,  for 
outpost  duty,  and  on  the  seventh  joined  the  brigade  while 
on  the  march  towards  Grand  Gulf,  which  we  then  learned  had, 
together  with  Port  Gibson,  been  captured  by  the  van  of  the 
army.  Passing  through  Richmond,  La.,  we  were  met  and 
briefly  addressed  by  Governor  Richard  Yates,  who  was  mak 
ing  a  tour  of  inspection  through  General  Grant's  department. 

The  men  marched  gaily  along  with  springy  step,  singing 


230  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

their  army  songs,  chaffing  each  other  and  every  one  we 
chanced  to  meet,  and  exhibiting  in  all  variety  of  rampant 
jollity  their  elation  at  escaping  from  the  malarious  swamps. 
Full  of  confidence  in  themselves  and  trust  in  their  leaders 
they  rejoiced  at  the  prospect  of  meeting  Pemberton's  army  in 
a  fair  field,  and  already  counted  Vicksburg  their  own.  We  had 
little  conception  of  the  desperate  nature  of  the  enterprise 
into  which  our  obstinate  commander  was  leading  us  despite 
the  warning  advice  of  his  most  trusted  lieutenants.  We 
could  not  then  know  that,  contrary  to  all  military  precedent, 
we  were  about  to  cut  loose  from  a  base  of  supplies,  abandon 
connection  with  the  navy,  and  thrust  ourselves  between  two 
formidable  armies,  one  of  which  was  equal  to  our  own  in  num 
bers; —  and  this  in  a  region  by  nature  among  the  most  easily 
defensible  to  be  found  in  the  land,  where  victory  must  be 
speedy  and  unqualified,  or  our  destruction  certain. 

About  fifteen  miles  were  traversed  each  day,  notwith 
standing  we  were  somewhat  delayed  by  the  frailty  of  the 
numerous  bridges  and  the  incumbrance  of  the  army  train 
placed  in  our  charge.  The  route  lay  along  Bayou  Vidal  to 
Perkins's  plantation,  and  thence  beside  the  curved  Lake  St. 
Joseph  to  Hard  Times  on  the  river  a  little  above  Grand  Gulf. 
The  whole  region  is  a  low-lying  plain  possessing  a  rich,  deep 
soil  capable  of  sustaining  a  dense  population;  but  was  occu 
pied  by  a  few  wealthy  planters,  whose  mansions  faced  the 
road  at  intervals  of  from  one  to  three  miles.  These  resi 
dences,  mostly  of  modern  construction  and  by  far  the  most 
costly  and  elegant  we  had  seen  in  the  South,  were  filled  with 
every  appliance  of  taste  and  domestic  utility.  Behind 
them  were  the  usual  twin  rows  of  whitewashed  cabins  for  the 
slaves;  and  cotton  presses,  corn-barns,  and  often  a  steam-mill, 
all  furnished  with  the  best  machinery,  were  located  not  far 
away.  These  had  been  built  by  Northern  mechanics,  and  it 
was  currently  reported  that  a  soldier  of  our  brigade  found  at 
one  of  these  plantations  his  tool-chest,  where  he  had  left  it 
when  the  war  began,  being  obliged  to  flee  to  avoid  conscrip 
tion,  and  unable  to  obtain  his  wages  or  remove  his  tools. 
There  was  also  a  rumor  that  he  now  took  payment  in  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  the  work  of  his  hands  reduced  to  ashes. 


GRAND    FLANK    MOVEMENT.  231 

The  lords  of  these  manors  had  deserted  them  in  haste,  and 
a  few  slaves  only  remained  in  charge.  The  troops  that  had 
passed  before  us  left  proofs  of  their  customary  lack  of  respect 
for  the  deserted  property  of  rebels,  and  at  our  noon  halts 
groups  of  tired,  dust-covered  "mud-sills"  were  to  be  seen 
seated  on  satin-upholstered  chairs  amid  roses  or  in  the  shade 
of  fig-trees,  and  eating  their  bacon  and  hard-tack  from 
marble-topped  tables  and  rosewood  pianos.  Sometimes  for 
miles  the  road  was  shaded  by  beautiful  live  oaks,  and  catal- 
pas  in  full  bloom,  or  bordered  by  a  tangled  hedge  of  red  and 
white  roses,  forming  a  barricade  of  beauty  eight  feet  high 
and  more  in  breadth;  while  in  contrast  on  the  left  hand  lay 
the  muddy  bayou,  an  occasional  dead  alligator  poisoning  the 
air  with  its  hideous,  swollen,  malodorous  carcass.  Abund 
ance  of  food  for  men  and  animals  was  found  in  the  store 
houses,  and  the  fields  were  lush  with  growing  corn. 

On  the  eleventh,  after  nearly  a  day's  delay  at  Hard  Times 
landing,  we  crossed  the  river  late  in  the  afternoon  and  went 
into  bivouac  at  Grand  Gulf, — not  inappropriately  called  by 
the  Confederates  "the  little  Gibraltar."  An  attempt  to  storm 
this  fortress  from  the  front  would  have  disastrously  failed. 
So  far  as  its  defensive  qualities  were  concerned,  we  could  not 
see  that  the  naval  bombardment  had  done  it  much  injury. 
During  the  next  four  days  we  were  moving  towards  Jackson; 
reaching  Auburn  on  the  thirteenth,  moving  in  a  violent  rain 
storm  to  New  Auburn  on  the  fourteenth,  and  arriving  at  Ray 
mond  on  the  fifteenth,  to  find  ourselves  amid  hospitals,  newly 
made  graves,  and  other  sad  signs  of  the  battle  won  three  days 
before  by  General  Logan's  division  of  the  Seventeenth  Army 
Corps.  The  contrast  between  the  Louisiana  shore  we  had 
just  left,  and  the  landscape  passed  through  during  this  march 
in  Mississippi,  was  very  striking.  Our  road  here  wound  along 
sharp-crested  clay  hills  one  to  two  hundred  feet  above  the 
river,  with  numerous  deep  ravines  and  water-worn  gullies 
radiating  on  either  hand,  the  precipitous  sides  of  which  were 
densely  clothed  with  deciduous  forest-growth — trees,  vines, 
and  underwood  in  great  variety.  In  such  ground  the  party 
assailed  had  enormous  advantages  over  the  assailant,  for 
every  hill  top  could  be  quickly  converted  into  a  fortress. 


FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

While  in  the  Young's  Point  encampment,  the  enlisted  men 
of  the  regiment  raised  by  general  subscription  nearly  four 
hundred  dollars  for  the  purchase  of  a  horse  and  equipments 
complete  to  present  to  Surgeon  Roler  as  a  testimonial  of 
their  gratitude  and  affection.  They  declined  to  accept  prof 
fered  contributions  from  the  commi|ioned  officers,  desiring  to 
emphasize  the  gift  as  their  own  unanimous  acknowledgement 
of  obligation  for  the  conservative  skill,  tireless  patience, 
tender  solicitude  and  humanity,  always  experienced  from 
Doctor  Roler,  by  the  private  equally  with  the  highest  official. 
The  ten  orderly-sergeants  acted  as  a  committee,  and 
selected  Sergeant-Major  Hartsook  to  write  the  address  of 
presentation  which  was  fitly  and  eloquently  done.  A  valuable 
and  beautiful  black  steed  was  found  and  bo.ught  while  the 
Fifty-fifth  lay  at  Young's  Point,  but  the  equipments  did  not 
arrive  until  the  opening  of  the  Yazoo  as  the  base  of  supplies. 
The  horse  was  presented  at  Grand  Gulf,  and  the  doctor's 
letter  of  grateful  acceptance  and  acknowledgement  was  read 
by  the  orderly-sergeants  to  the  several  companies  on  the 
evening  of  the  arrival  at  Raymond. 

At  this  point  we  learned  that  the  advance  divisions  of  the 
Fifteenth  Army  Corps  were  already  in  Jackson,  which  had 
been  abandoned  by  Johnston  after  a  brief  defence,  and  that 
the  whole  army  of  Vicksburg  had  come  out  to  attack  us. 
At  daylight  on  the  morning  of  Saturday  the  sixteenth,  we 
moved  west  on  the  direct  road  to  Vicksburg,  and  about  half- 
past  seven  the  occasional  rattle  of  musketry  in  front  told 
that  General  A.  J.  Smith's  skirmishers  were  at  work.  They 
had  encountered  the  cavalry  constituting  the  rear  guard  of 
General  Pemberton's  army,  then  just  attempting  a  retrogade 
movement  in  order  to  recross  Baker's  Creek  and  march  to 
join  Johnston's  army  at  Canton.  Half  a  mile  further  on  an 
artillery  duel  ensued.  We  were  then  within  four  or  five  miles 
of  Edwards  Station  and  had  advanced  about  twice  that 
distance  from  Raymond.  General  Blair's  division,  being 
detached  many  miles  from  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  was  placed 
under  command  of  General  McClernand  and  formed  battle- 
line  at  right  angles  with  the  road  in  conjunction  with  the 
division  of  General  A.  J.  Smith,  which  was  the  extreme  left 


BATTLE    OF    CHAMPION'S    HILL.  233 

of  the  army  until  General  Ransom's  brigade  arrived  late  in 
the  afternoon.  We  were  ordered  to  connect  on  the  right 
with  the  division  of  General  Osterhaus.  Within  an  hour  we 
heard  sounds  of  skirmishing  at  a  distance,  in  a  northerly 
direction,  but  a  dense  forest  hid  from  us  all  views  of  the 
country  on  either  side.  By  eleven  o'clock  the  continuous 
roar  of  battle  far  to  the  right  warned  us  of  a  fiercely  contested 
and  general  engagement,  and  we  were  momentarily  expecting 
orders  to  advance  upon  the  foe  supposed  to  be  in  our  front, 
or  to  move  by  the  right  flank  to  the  aid  of  those  there  hotly 
engaged.  No  orders  came,  and  for  hours  we  lay  idly  on  our 
arms,  unmolested  and  unmolesting.  Occasionally  a  forward 
movement  was  made  from  one  low  ridge  to  the  next.  Once 
while  the  regiments  of  the  brigade,  marching  by  the  flank, 
were  crossing  a  wide  open  field  with  no  skirmishers  in  ad 
vance,  a  rebel  battery  opened  upon  them;  but  before  it  had 
acquired  the  proper  range  a  change  of  our  formation  and 
position  saved  us  from  loss.  Captain  Augustine  was  about 
this  time  sent  forward  in  command  of  skirmishers.  But  the 
tactics  upon  the  left  ilank  of  the  Federal  army  were  continu 
ously  defensive.  It  had  apparently  impressed  itself  upon 
some  one  high  in  authority  that  the  enemy  meditated  a  des 
perate  attack  in  force  down  the  road  along  which  we  were 
manoeuvreing,  in  order  to  cut  off  the  Union  army  from  Grand 
Gulf,  its  supposed  base  of  supplies.  About  five  o'clock  a 
lull  in  the  fight  was  noticed,  and  soon  a  few  solid  shot  from 
a  rebel  battery  ricochetted  harmlessly  through  our  line.  It 
was  the  farewell  of  Pemberton's  army  in  full  retreat; — a  re 
treat  that  we  soon  after  knew  must  have  become  a  disorgan 
ized  rout  or  surrender,  had  the  left  wing,  to  which  we  were 
temporarily  joined,  advanced  with  promptitude  and  energy. 
General  McClernand  had  lost  a  magnificent  opportunity  to 
show  that  he  deserved  his  high  position.  Through  an  excess 
of  caution  he  had  permitted  the  rebel  General  Loring's  three 
brigades  to  hold  four  Federal  divisions  inactive  during  the 
whole  day.  Obedience  to  repeated  orders  or  intelligent  en 
terprise  on  his  part,  would  have  made  the  costly  siege  that 
followed  unnecessary. 

The  next  morning  our  division   marched  to  Bridgeport, 


234  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

about  five  miles  up  the  Big  Black,  and  a  rubber-pontoon  train 
was  brought  to  the  front.  A  small  earth-work  on  the  oppo 
site  bank  was  found  occupied  by  a  few  riflemen,  who  made  it 
hazardous  to  approach  the  river.  General  Blair,  after  watch 
ing  the  skirmishing  awhile,  had  ordered  a  flanking  party  to 
swim  the  stream  a  short  distance  above  and  drive  the  force 
away;  but  just  then  General  Sherman  came  galloping  to  the 
scene  and  quickly  advanced  a  section  of  artillery,  under  shel 
ter  of  an  out-building,  two  well  aimed  shells  from  which 
induced  the  waving  of  a  white  hancjjerchief  over  the  parapet, 
and  the  surrender  of  an  officer  with  his  picket  of  ten  men. 
Captain  Crooker  of  the  Fifty-fifth  and  eight  of  his  company 
immediately  rowed  over  upon  a  pontoon  and  were  the  first 
of  the  army  to  cross  the  Big  Black.  A  picket-guard  was 
soon  advanced,  but  no  hostile  force  faced  us.  In  the  early 
morning  hours  the  noise  of  conflict  at  the  railroad  bridge 
below  had  been  heard,  but  the  quiet  that  soon  followed  gave 
us  assurance  of  another  success,  which  messengers  before 
noon  made  certain.  The  pontoon  bridge  was  in  position  be 
fore  it  became  dark,  and  the  passing  of  troops  continued  all 
night  by  the  light  of  fires  upon  the  river  bank. 

By  two  o'clock  of  Monday,  May  i8th,  we  had  advanced 
twelve  or  thirteen  miles  from  the  night's  bivouac,  and  our 
skirmishers  drove  the  enemy's  pickets  into  the  formidable 
earth-works  encircling  Vicksburg.  We  were  upon  the  Grave 
yard  Road,  so  called.  Generals  Grant  and  Sherman  rode 
near  the  head  of  the  column,  their  imperturbable  countenances 
showing  little  of  the  terrible  load  of  anxiety  they  were  yet 
bearing.  To  our  right  were  the  very  hills  with  their  deserted 
works  which  we  had  so  desperately  assailed  five  months  be 
fore.  Below,  concealed  by  the  forest,  lay  Chickasaw  Bayou, 
and  beyond,  the  base  of  supplies  from  which  the  army  had 
been  separated  nearly  a  fortnight  without  thereby  experienc 
ing  bodily  discomfort  or  disappointment  of  regular  appetite, 
but  rather  to  the  improvement  of  their  diet.  From  this 
statement  our  own  division  must  be  excepted,  however,  inas 
much  as  it  had  found  but  scanty  gleaning  during  its  march  at 
the  rear,  and  was  now  suffering  for  food.  Bread  had  been 
for  some  time  exhausted  throughout  the  army,  and  there  was 


FIRST    ASSAULT    AT    VICKSBURG.  235 

general  and  noisy  rejoicing  when  the  reopening  of  the 
"cracker-line"  was  announced. 

The  regiment  lay  under  arms  in  a  corn-field  within  musket 
range  of  the  fortifications  that  night,  and  occasionally  a  bul 
let  came  hissing  among  us.  One  of  these  struck  A.  A. 
Williams  in  the  lower  jaw,  causing  a  painful  wound.  Another 
seriously  wounded  Corporal  Hugo  Arndt  in  the  arm.  Com 
pany  F,  under  Captain  Crooker,  was  sent  forward  to  cover 
the  front  and  kept  up  a  brisk  skirmish  with  the  enemy,  pre 
venting  them  from  using  artillery.  About  noon  of  the  nine 
teenth,  Company  F  was  relieved  by  Companies  A  and  B, 
who  continued  the  duel.  Some  artillery  had  been  got  into 
position  and  opened  fire.  The  men  of  Company  G,  who  had 
been  educated  in  artillery  practice  at  Paducah,  were  detailed 
to  aid  Chicago  Battery  A,  upon  our  left. 

At  two  o'clock,  in  accordance  with  a  general  order  for 
assault  along  the  whole  line,  the  skirmishers  upon  the  signal 
of  three  volleys  from  the  artillery,  sprang  forward,  and  the 
waiting  battle-line  rushed  cheering  to  the  charge  —  a  human 
wave  that  seemed  irresistible  when  it  began  surging  onward 
towards  the  rebel  lines.  But  as  it  dashed  over  stumps  and 
tangled  limbs  of  fallen  trees,  struggled  through  deep  gullies 
bristling  with  brush  and  cane,  and  climbed  the  steep  slopes 
opposite  in  the  face  of  a  roaring,  whistling  storm  of  lead 
and  iron  rain,  men  dropped  by  tens,  stopped  behind  some 
sheltering  log  or  bank,  slackened  speed  for  sheer  want  of 
breath,  until  all  the  momentum  of  the  start  had  worn  itself 
out;  and  a  thin  line  of  panting,  staggering  humanity  pressed 
on  and  on  until  a  few  of  the  pluckiest  and  strongest  perhaps 
straggled  nerveless  into  the  ditch,  attempted  to  climb  the 
abrupt  scarp,  and  were  there  either  slain,  desperately  wounded 
or  captured,  or  only  escaped  by  miraculous  fortune  when  the 
shades  of  night  kindly  covered  them  from  sight.  The  bri 
gades  on  either  flank  of  ours  were  driven  back  to  cover  of 
the  ravine  with  heavy  loss;  but  we  reached  the  crest  of  the 
hill  as  a  definite  brigade  line  of  battle  within  fifty  paces  of 
the  east  curtain  of  the  bastion  at  the  Graveyard  Road,  and 
there  remained,  slightly  sheltered  by  the  ground  so  long  as 
we  lay  prostrate,  and  kept  up  such  a  persistent  fire  that  no 


236  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

rebel  dared  show  his  head  above  the  parapet.  Our  colors 
waved  for  hours  within  pistol  shot  of  the  line  of  defence,  and 
were  riddled  with  bullets.  Without  support  it  was  foolhardy 
to  advance;  it  was  equally  dangerous  to  attempt  retreat.  As 
darkness  came  upon  the  landscape,  the  Confederate  soldiers 
lighted  fires  that  they  might  see  any  movement  we  made,  but 
this  proved  more  dangerous  to  them  than  to  us,  and  finally 
by  tacit  consent  firing  ceased.  About  midnight  we  were  or 
dered  back,  and  gradually  withdrew  to  our  position  of  the 
morning. 

Upon  counting  our  losses  we  found  with  surprise  that  only 
twenty-four  of  the  regiment  had  been  killed  or  wounded 
during  the  day.  The  effective  force  of  the  command  had 
been  reported  as  three  hundred  and  eighty-three  a  few  days 
before;  but  under  the  deceptive  rule  in  vogue  in  the  armies 
of  the  Union  —  although  in  no  others  —  special  and  extra 
duty  men  were  always  included  among  the  "present  for  duty," 
so  that  those  in  the  ranks  during  an  action  were  frequently 
not  over  four-fifths  of  the  reported  effectives.  Owing  to  the 
large  number  detached  temporarily  with  the  artillery,  per 
haps  not  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  stood  in  the  charg 
ing  battle  line.  In  an  assault  which  to  those  in  the  flame  of 
it  gave  promise  of  extermination,  we  were  not  quite  deci 
mated. 

CASUALTIES    OF    FIFTY-FIFTH    ILL.  VOL.  INFTY.,  BEFORE 
VICKSBURG,  MAY  19,  1863. 

KILLED.  COMPANY.  REMARKS. 

LEVI  HILL,  second-lieutenant.  A.  Shot  in  thigh  and  groin. 

JOHN  C.  GLASS,  orderly-sergt.  A.  Shot  in  head. 

PATRICK  TOBIN.  A.  Shot  in  head. 

MICHAEL  AINSBURY,  corporal.  C.  Shot  in  head. 

ORIN  BABCOCK.  C.  Shot  in  head. 

ROBERT  A.  HAMER.  C.  Shot  in  head. 

JAMES  A.  CURRY,  corporal.  D.  Shot  in  breast. 

OLIVER  J.  HOYT.  F.  Shot  in  breast. 

WOUNDED. 

OSCAR  MALMBORG,  colonel.  Contusion  over  eye. 

JOSEPH  C.  BARKLEY.  A.  Slightly,  in  head. 

JOSEPH  A.  DEEMS,  corporal.  A.  Seriously,  in  thigh. 

MATTHEW  MITCHELL.  A.  Seriously,  in  thigh. 


BATTLE    CASUALTIES.  237 

WOUNDED.  COMPANY.  REMARKS. 

RIENZI  L.  CLEVELAND.  C.  Slightly,  in  arm. 

ORION  P.  HOWE,  drummer.  C.  Slightly,  in  thigh. 

ROSWELL  J.  RILEY,  corporal.  C.  Slightly,  in  arm. 

HUGO  ARNDT,  corporal.  E.  Seriously,  in  arm. 

FRANKLIN  PEACAR,  sergeant.  E.  Slightly,  in  hand. 

LUCIEN  B.  CROOKER.  captain.  F.  Arm  broken  by  bullet. 

LEWIS  T.  WINGET.  F.  Slightly,  in  hand. 

ANDREW  A.  WILLIAMS.  G.  Bullet  in  lower  jaw. 

JAMES  W.  GAY,  color-corporal.  G.  Bullet  in  shoulder. 

WILLIAM  C.  TEITGE.  H.  Seriously,  in  shoulder  and  side. 

JOSEPH  EDWARDS.  I.  Seriously,  in  shoulder. 

ROBERT  McVAY,  sergeant.  K.  Bullet  through  lungs. 

Lieutenant  Levi  Hill  was  a  daring  young  officer  of  great 
promise.  He  is  said  to  have  gone  into  the  battle  depressed 
by  a  premonition  of  his  fate.  Orderly-sergeant  John  C.  Glass 
was  slain  while  advancing  too  imprudently  ahead  of  the  skir 
mishers —  an  irreparable  loss  to  his  company.  The  three 
killed  of  Company  C,  all  fine  soldiers,  fell  one  after  the  other 
in  the  same  spot,  victims  to  the  deadly  aim  of  some  expert 
rifleman.  Corporal  Curry  was  a  man  of  ability,  had  been  a 
teacher  and  was  a  thorough  soldier.  Captain  L.  B.  Crocker's 
wound,  added  to  severe  injuries  previously  received  at  Shiloh, 
permanently  disabled  him  for  further  military  service,  and 
he  never  rejoined  his  command.  His  confirmed  habit  of 
making  himself  too  conspicuous  a  target  for  rebel  bullets  lost 
us  a  sagacious  and  resolute  officer;  but  he  has  been  spared 
for  a  life  of  great  usefulness  to  state  and  nation. 

A  story  that  has  been  twice  told  by  General  Sherman  and 
more  than  once  sung  by  patriotic  poet,  must  not  be  omitted 
here,  for  it  is  a  romantic  incident  in  the  history  of  the  day 
and  of  the  Fifty-fifth.  Among  the  several  boy  musicians  of 
the  regiment  the  youngest  were  two  sons  of  Principal-Musi 
cian  Howe,  one  but  twelve  and  the  other  fourteen  years  of 
age  when  enrolled.  They  were  both  small  of  their  years. 
Our  "infant  drummers"  attracted  much  attention  on  dress 
parade  in  the  great  camps  of  instruction,  at  Camp  Douglas 
even  rivalling  our  original  ''giant  color-guard."  The  little 
Howes  drummed  well,  proved  hardy,  never  seemed  homesick, 
were  treated  as  regimental  pets,  and  passed  through  battle 


238  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

after  battle,  and  march  after  march,  untouched  by  disease, 
unscathed  by  bullet  and  shell.  In  the  charge  of  May  iQth 
the  youngest  Howe,  like  the  other  musicians,  with  a  white 
handkerchief  tied  about  the  left  arm  to  designate  him  as  a 
non-combatant,  followed  in  the  rear  of  the  line  to  assist  the 
wounded.  At  the  advanced  position  finally  held  by  the  regi 
ment,  it  was  essential  to  our  safety  not  to  allow  any  cessation 
in  the  firing,  and  the  cartridge-boxes  became  rapidly  depleted. 
Ammunition,  from  the  difficulties  of  the  ground,  could  only 
be  brought  to  us  by  special  messengers  and  in  such  quantity 
as  they  were  able  to  carry  about  the  person.  Sergeant-Major 
Hartsook  was  instructed  to  go  back  to  the  regimental  ord 
nance  wagon,  take  command  of  the  musicians  and  such  other 
men  as  he  might  find  detailed  near  our  camp,  and  send  them 
to  the  front  one  by  one,  with  cartridges.  This  dangerous 
duty  was  promptly  and  well  performed. 

The  little  drummer,  by  his  own  statement,  was  not  at  this 
time  with  the  other  musicians,  but  in  the  ravine  just  in  rear 
of  the  regiment,  having  been  ordered  back  from  the  front  to 
be  out  of  danger,  by  the  colonel.  About  him  were  several 
dead  and  wounded  men.  Collecting  the  ammunition  from 
their  cartridge-boxes,  and  using  his  blouse  for  a  sack,  he  car 
ried  this  up  to  the  command.  Flattered  with  some  praise 
then  received,  he  started  for  the  ordnance  wagon  and  returned 
in  safety,  with  his  small  but  valuable  contribution.  Again  he 
sped  down  across  the  ravine  and  up  the  steep  opposite  slope. 
We  could  see  him  nearly  the  whole  way  as  he  ran  through 
what  seemed  like  a  hailstorm  of  canister  and  musket-balls, 
so  thickly  did  these  fall  about  him,  each  throwing  up  its  little 
puff  of  dust  where  it  struck  the  dry  hillside.  Suddenly  he 
dropped,  and  hearts  sank  thinking  his  brief  career  ended; 
but  he  had  only  tripped  over  some  obstacle.  Often  he  stum 
bled,  sometimes  he  fell  prostrate,  but  was  quickly  up  again, 
and  finally  disappeared  from  us,  limping,  over  the  summit, 
and  the  Fifty-fifth  saw  him  no  more  for  several  months.  As 
the  boy  sped  away  the  last  time  the  colonel  shouted  to  him, 
as  he  alleges,  "Bring  calibre  fifty-four."  General  Sherman's 
letter  to  the  War  Department  will  best  tell  the  rest  of  the 
story : 


THE    DRUMMER    BOY    OF    VICKSBURG.  239 

HEADQUARTERS  FIFTEENTH  ARMY  CORPS,  ) 
CAMP  ON  BIG  BLACK,  Aug.  8,  1863.        > 
Hon.  E.  M.  STANTON,  Secretary  of  War. 

SIR  :  I  take  the  liberty  of  asking  through  you  that  something  be 
done  for  a  young  lad  named  Orion  P.  Howe  of  Waukegan,  Illinois,  who 
belongs  to  the  55th  Illinois,  but  is  at  present  absent  at  his  home,  wounded. 
I  think  he  is  too  young  for  West  Point,  but  would  be  the  very  thing  for  a 
midshipman. 

When  the  assault  on  Vicksburg  was  at  its  height,  on  the  igth  of  May, 
and  I  was  in  front  near  the  road  which  formed  my  line  of  attack,  this 
young  lad  came  up  to  me  wounded  and  bleeding,  with  a  good  healthy 
boy's  cry:  "  General  Sherman,  send  some  cartridges  to  Colonel  Malmborg; 
the  men  are  all  out."  "What  is  the  matter,  my  boy?"  "They  shot  me 
in  the  leg,  sir;  but  I  can  go  to  the  hospital.  Send  the  cartridges  right 
away!"  Even  where  we  stood  the  shot  fell  thick,  and  I  told  him  to  go  to  the 
rear  at  once,  I  would  attend  to  the  cartridges;  and  off  he  limped.  Just 
before  he  disappeared  on  the  hill,  he  turned  and  called  as  loud  as  he 
could,  "Calibre  54!" 

I  have  not  seen  the  boy  since,  and  his  colonel,  Malmborg,  on  inquiring, 
gave  me  his  address  as  above,  and  says  he  is  a  bright,  intelligent  boy, 
with  a  fair  preliminary  education.  What  arrested  my  attention  there 
was,  and  what  renews  my  memory  of  the  fact  now  is,  that  one  so  young, 
carrying  a  musket-ball  wound  through  his  leg,  should  have  found  his  way 
to  me  on  that  fatal  spot,  and  delivered  his  message,  not  forgetting  the 
very  important  part  even  of  the  calibre  of  the  musket,  54,  which  you 
know  is  an  unusual  one. 

I'll  warrant  the  boy  has  in  him  the  elements  of  a  man,  and  I  commend 
him  to  the  Government  as  one  worthy  the  fostering  care  of  some  one  of 
its  National  Institutions. 

I  am,  with  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  T.  SHERMAN.  Maj.-Gen.  Commanding. 

In  the  Atlantic  Monthly  for  September,  1864,  the  follow 
ing  poem  by  George  H.  Boker  was  published : 

BEFORE    VICKSBURG. 
MAY  19,  1863. 

While  Sherman  stood  beneath  the  hottest  fire 
That  from  the  lines  of  Vicksburg  gleam'd, 
And  bomb-shells  tumbled  in  their  smoky  gyre, 
And  grape  shot  hiss'd,  and  case  shot  scream'd, 
Back  from  the  front  there  came, 
Weeping,  and  sorely  lame, 
The  merest  child,  the  youngest  face, 
Man  ever  saw  in  such  a  fearful  place. 


240  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

Stifling  his  tears,  he  limp'd  his  chief  to  meet; 

But,  when  he  paused  and  tottering  stood, 
Around  the  circle  of  his  little  feet 

There  spread  a  pool  of  bright,  young  blood. 
Shocked  at  his  doleful  case, 
Sherman  cried,  "  Halt !  front  face  ! 
Who  are  you  ?  speak,  my  gallant  boy  !  " 
"A  drummer,  sir, —  Fifty-fifth  Illinois." 

"Are  you  not  hit?"    "That's  nothing.    Only  send 

Some  cartridges.     Our  men  are  out, 
And  the  foe  press  us."     "  But,  my  little  friend — 
"  Don't  mind  me  !     Did  you  hear  that  shout? 
What  if  our  men  be  driven? 
Oh,  for  the  love  of  Heaven, 
Send  to  my  colonel,  general  dear — 
"But  you?" "Oh,  I  shall  easily  find  the  rear." 

"  I'll  see  to  that,"  cried  Sherman  ;  and  a  drop, 

Angels  might  envy,  dimm'd  his  eye, 
As  the  boy,  toiling  towards  the  hill's  hard  top, 
Turn'd  round,  and,  with  his  shrill  child's  cry 
Shouted,  "  Oh,  don't  forget ! 
We'll  win  the  battle  yet ! 
But  let  our  soldiers  have  some  more, 
More  cartridges,  sir,  calibre  fifty-four ! " 

A  slangy  plagiarism  upon  this,  styled  "Calibre  54,"  was 
printed  with  a  full-page  illustration,  in  Harper's  Weekly  for 
August  22d,  1885. 

There  remains  one  singular  fact  unchronicled.  The  senti 
mentality  that  has  been  expended  upon  the  solicitous  recol 
lection  by  the  wounded  boy  of  "calibre  fifty-four,"  is  wholly 
based  upon  somebody's  blunder.  The  rifles  of  the  regiment 
were  all  calibre  fifty-eight,  and  if  cartridges  of  number  fifty- 
four  had  been  sent,  they  would  have  been  of  small  practical 
use  for  us;  even  buck-shot  would  have  been  better,  fighting 
as  we  were  at  close  quarters.  It  is,  moreover,  extremely 
doubtful  if  there  was  any  calibre  fifty-four  ammunition  near 
that  battle-ground.  Calibre  fifty-seven  cartridges  were  fur 
nished  to  the  regiment,  were  used,  and  when  the  guns  became 
foul  and  heated  in  action  were  highly  convenient.  This  size 
was  the  one  desired  at  the  time.  Unlike  most  battle-field 
blunders  this  had  no  doleful  sequence,  made  no  widow  or 


CAUSE    OF    THE    FAILURE.  241 

orphan,  is  responsible  for  no  bloodshed;  but  simply  lives  em 
balmed  in  rhythmic  romance,  like  many  another  error. 

Young  Howe  was  again  wounded  May  28th,  1864,  at 
Dallas,  being  then  an  orderly  at  the  headquarters  of  General 
Giles  A.  Smith.  He  received  an  appointment  to  the  Naval 
Academy  from  President  Lincoln,  ordering  him  to  report  for 
examination  June  25th,  1864;  but  was  finally  allowed  a  year 
for  study,  and  entered  the  academy  July  28th,  1865.  He  was 
unable  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  course,  and  left  at 
the  end  of  his  second  year.  He  then  entered  the  merchant 
service,  and  was  one  of  the  crew  of  the  ship  Thornton, 
wrecked  on  the  Irish  coast  in  November,  1867,  losing  every 
thing  but  life.  Having  had  enough  of  the  salt  water,  but  not 
yet  sated  with  adventure,  he  tried  the  roving  life  of  a  cowboy 
in  Texas,  participated  in  some  Indian  fights  on  the  plains, 
and  went  in  a  civil  capacity  with  the  noted  Powder  River 
expedition;  but  has  at  last  found  a  quiet  home  in  Illinois 
again. 

Though  signally  failing  of  its  direct  object,  the  attack  of 
May  igth  gained  important  advance  of  position  at  every 
point,  and  valuable  knowledge  of  the  natural  and  artificial 
obstacles  to  be  overcome.  It  sufficiently  demonstrated  that 
General  Pemberton's  army  had  recovered  in  great  measure 
from  the  demoralization  it  had  shown  at  the  Big  Black.  But 
the  assault  had  been  far  from  a  general  one.  Neither  the 
corps  of  General  McPherson  nor  that  of  General  McCler- 
nand  had  approached  sufficiently  near  the  enemy's  lines  to 
attempt  a  coup  de  main.  In  fact  the  assault  made  by  the 
division  of  General  Blair  was  the  only  one  really  deserving 
the  name,  and  that  was  made  upon  a  portion  of  the  defences 
which  chanced  to  be  manned  by  steady  veterans  who  had 
not  experienced  disheartening  defeat  in  the  field.  The  Fif 
teenth  Army  Corps  was  confronted  by  the  divisions  of  Gen 
erals  Martin  L.  Smith  and  J.  H.  Forney,  and  the  salient  upon 
which  our  charge  had  spent  itself,  was  defended  by  a  brigade 
of  General  Forney's  division  which  had  garrisoned  Haines's 
Bluff,  composed  chiefly  of  Mississippi  regiments  commanded 
by  Brigadier-General  Louis  Hebert.  They  were  fighting 
upon  their  native  soil,  and  behind  works  where  one  cool- 
16 


242  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

headed  man  ought  to  be  equal  to  four  or  five  uncovered 
assailants. 

The  army  at  this  time  garrisoning  Vicksburg  was  under 
estimated  by  our  generals,  who  supposed  it  not  to  much 
exceed  eighteen  thousand  men;  but  after  the  losses  of  the 
siege  over  thirty-one  thousand  were  surrendered.  An  army 
reported  to  be  of  nearly  equal  size  to  our  own  was  threaten 
ing  our  rear,  and  daily  receiving  additions.  Under  the  able 
leadership  of  General  Johnston  it  was  not  likely  to  neglect 
any  opportunity  that  presented  to  attempt  the  relief  of  the 
beleaguered  city.  To  cope  successfully  with  the  two  forces 
combined,  heavy  columns  of  troops  must  be  summoned  from 
points  hundreds  of  miles  away.  The  hot  season  was  at  hand, 
and  the  few  springs  hidden  among  the  hills  were  fast  drying 
up.  A  consultation  of  the  corps  commanders  warranting 
General  Grant  in  ordering  preparations  for  the  second  assault 
along  the  whole  line,  the  twenty-second  of  May  was  selected 
for  the  murderous  experiment.  Those  of  us  who  had  been 
favored  with  a  very  near  view  of  the  exterior  slope  of  the 
bastions  and  connecting  rifle-pits,  knowing  these  works  to  be 
thoroughly  manned  by  veteran  soldiers  of  similar  blood  to 
our  own,  felt  little  hope  of  a  successful  issue.  But  when  a 
call  was  made  for  fifty  men  from  the  brigade  to  constitute  a 
storming  party,  equipped  to  cross  the  ditch  and  climb  the 
parapet  in  advance  of  the  main  columns  of  attack,  the  Fifty- 
fifth  at  once  offered  more  than  double  its  due  proportion. 
One  commissioned  officer  and  twelve  men  only  were  accepted. 

Precisely  at  ten  o'clock  the  bugles  sounded  a  charge.  The 
field  batteries  all  along  the  Union  line,  and  the  gunboats  and 
mortars  in  the  river  below,  had  opened  a  fast  and  furious  fire 
an  hour  before.  The  army,  by  divisions  in  column  with 
fixed  bayonets,  rushed  forward,  preceded  each  by  its  forlorn 
hope  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men.  Again  the  rebel  para 
pet  blazed  from  its  entire  length.  The  greater  the  daring 
displayed  by  the  assailants,  the  more  numerous  the  victims, 
and  after  an  hour  or  two  of  desperate  struggle  the  assault 
had  failed  at  every  point.  Nowhere  had  our  troops  suc 
ceeded  in  crossing  the  bulwarks,  although  the  storming 
parties  had  generally  succeeded  in  reaching  the  ditch  and 


THE    SECOND    ASSAULT.  243 

planting  their  flags  on  the  embankments  of  the  bastions, 
whence  the  Confederates  tried  in  vain  to  pluck  them  away. 
The  three  brigades  of  General  Blair's  division,  commanded 
by  Brigadier-General  Hugh  Ewing  and  Colonels  Giles  A.  and 
Thomas  K.  Smith,  marching  by  the  flank  and  successively 
plunging  into  the  terrible  fire  that  swept  the  Graveyard  Road, 
were  unable  to  withstand  it,  and  deployed  to  the  left  along 
the  steep  sides  of  a  ravine,  where  they  gained  partial  protec 
tion  and  could  prevent  the  rebel  gunners  from  firing. 

Three  or  four  hours  later  the  two  brigades  just  at  our  left, 
under  Colonel  Giles  A.  Smith  and  Brigadier-General  T.  E. 
G.  Ransom,  attempted  to  storm  the  rifle-pits  in  their  front. 
The  Eighth  Missouri  of  the  first  named  brigade,  our  faithful 
allies  in  many  a  bloody  fight,  we  heard  had  volunteered  to 
make  one  more  charge,  if  the  Fifty-fifth  would  support  them. 
Suddenly  we  saw  the  tall  form  of  Colonel  Smith  rise  from 
the  ground  at  the  right  of  his  men.  A  prominent  target  for 
hundreds  of  bullets,  he  waved  his  sword  and  shouted,  "Boys, 
they'll  give  us  one  volley ;  before  they  can  reload,  we'll  be 
inside  their  works.  Forward,  double-quick,  march!  and 
hurrah  like  -  — !"  The  charging  line  nearly  reached  the 
trenches,  only  to  be  driven  back  by  the  withering  fire  poured 
into  their  faces  by  the  serried  ranks  of  men  in  grey  that  rose 
behind  the  parapet.  A-  renewed  order  to  assault  at  three 
o'clock,  when  General  Mower's  brigade  was  sent  to  our  sup 
port  on  the  right,  resulted  only  in  further  useless  slaughter. 

The  Fifty-fifth,  as  before,  attained  a  position  very  near  the 
line  of  Confederate  works,  where  the  brow  of  the  hill  afforded 
protection  in  front,  and  there  remained  in  line  and  in  compar 
ative  safety,  if  the  foe  could  be  kept  down  by  constant  fire. 
As  before  our  opponents  were  the  men  of  Hebert's  brigade, 
re-enforced  by  the  Tennesseeans  of  Brigadier-General  Vaugh- 
an's  command.  We  were  fully  in  sight  from  a  redan  on  our 
left,  half  a  mile  distant,  known  to  us  as  Fort  Hill,  and  during 
the  afternoon  a  rifled  cannon  was  there  trained  upon  us,  much 
to  our  annoyance  and  loss.  The  adjutant  was  much  rallied 
then,  and  has  been  often  congratulated  since,  for  the  aston 
ishing  prescience  and  agility  he  displayed,  when  once,  after 
the  flame  and  smoke  leaped  from  the  muzzle  of  this  gun,  he 


244  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

jumped  out  of  the  path  of  the  ball  which  tore  out  the  foot 
prints  his  feet  had  barely  left  and  ricochetted  on  its  fearful 
errand  along  the  hillside.  The  prescience  was  the  more  re 
markable  in  this,  that  it  could  not  have  been  derived  from 
sight,  the  officer's  back  being  nearly  turned  towards  the  gun. 
It  was  an  inborn  cognizance  of  coming  evil,  as  positive  and 
peremptory  in  its  warning  to  move  as  a  comrade's  push  would 
have  been.  The  ball  terribly  wounded  three  or  four  men  in 
the  regiment.  Sergeant  Burns,  a  noble  soldier  and  exem 
plary  Christian,  died  of  his  wounds  the  same  day.  Charles 
Dhelo  survives,  although  his  arm  was  shattered  and  the  flesh 
torn  from  his  shoulder,  baring  the  blade  bone  for  a  space 
eight  inches  in  diameter; — one  of  the  most  ghastly  wounds 
ever  seen  that  did  not  take  life.  Martin  Popp  lost  both  feet, 
torn  off  by  the  same  shot.  We  held  our  position  all  night, 
and  were  recalled  the  following  day  to  a  deep  ravine  a  short 
distance  in  the  rear,  where  we  were  allowed  to  rest  for  two 
days. 

The  volunteers  who  represented  the  regiment  in  the 
storming  party  were  the  following: 

WILLIAM  C.  PORTER,  second-lieutenant.  Company  E. 

JOHN  H.  FISHER,  corporal.     Slightly  wounded.  "  B. 

JOHN  SMITH.     Mortally  wounded.  "  E. 

JOHN  WARDEN,  corporal.    Wounded.  •  "  E. 

RICHARD  HANEY,  sergeant.    Killed.  "  F. 

AMOS  SANFORD,  corporal.    Wounded.  "  F. 

JACOB  SANFORD.  "  F. 

JAMES  W.  LARRABEE,  sergeant.    Wounded.  "  I. 

MILTON  BELLWOOD.    Killed.  "  K. 

ROBERT  M.  Cox,  corporal.  "  K. 

JAMES  DONAHUE.    Killed.  "  K. 

ROBERT  A.  LOWER.  "  K. 

WILLIAM  WALKER.  "  K. 

Fortunately,  we  are  not  left  entirely  dependent  upon  fad 
ing  recollections  for  our  knowledge  of  the  doings  and  experi 
ences  of  these  valiant  patriots  on  that  day  of  desperate 
endeavor.  Joseph  Hartsook  at  the  time  took  down  from  the 
lips  of  Lieutenant  Porter  his  account  of  the  forlorn  hope, 
and  from  that  many  of  the  facts  to  be  given  are  drawn. 
Robert  M.  Cox,  John  H.  Fisher,  James  W.  Larrabee  and  John 


THE    STORMING    PARTY.  245 

Warden,  four  survivors  of  the  party,  have  furnished  their 
reminiscences,  which  have  been  used  to  fill  the  brief  record. 
The  company  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  volunteers  was 
commanded  by  Captain  J.  H.  Groce  of  the  Thirtieth  Ohio, 
aided  by  three  other  officers  —  one  each  from  the  One-hun 
dred-twenty-seventh  Illinois,  the  Sixth  Missouri  and  the 
Fifty-fifth  Illinois.  The  ensign,  borne  by  a  mere  boy  of  the 
Eighth  Missouri,  Trogden  by  name,  was  the  headquarters 
flag  of  General  Ewing's  brigade.  Beside  their  guns  the  men 
carried  axes,  boards,  and  rude  scaling  ladders.  Before  the 
order  for  the  charge  the  heroic  men,  drawn  up  in  line,  were 
briefly  addressed  in  the  presence  of  General  Sherman,  by 
General  Smith.  They  were  promised  sixty  days'  furlough  if 
they  captured  the  fort.  When  the  company  sallied  out  upon 
the  Graveyard  Road  from  the  ravine  that  concealed  them, 
but  few  shots  were  fired,  and  it  was  not  until  the  leaders  were 
within  one  hundred  feet  of  the  ditch  that  they  were  met  by 
a  volley.  If  a  surprise  was  to  be  hoped  for,  the  main  column 
should  have  charged  unheralded  by  the  storming  party  or 
artillery  fire.  Pressing  on  at  double-quick  past  the  "lone 
oak"  and  turning  to  the  right,  those  not  hit  by  the  first  volley 
threw  themselves  into  the  ditch,  and  Trogden,  with  a  few 
others,  climbed  the  slope  and  planted  the  flag.  Digging 
places  for  protection  with  their  bayonets,  they  clung  there 
until  one  or  more  of  their  number  were  hit,  apparently  by 
our  own  men,  when  all  fell  back  to  the  foot  of  the  slope.  It 
was  now  past  noon;  the  charge  of  the  main  column  had  been 
repulsed,  and  there  seemed  no  hope  of  relief.  The  ditch  in 
which  they  were  huddled  was  four  or  five  feet  in  depth, 
about  double  that  in  width,  and  the  crest  of  the  parapet  was 
nine  or  ten  feet  above  the  bottom  of  the  ditch.  The  sharp 
shooters  in  the  rifle-pits  on  either  flank  of  the  fort  commanded 
portions  of  the  ditch,  and  killed  and  wounded  several.  Bell- 
wood  was  one  of  those  thus  killed.  After  a  time  the  occu 
pants  of  the  fort  began  to  shout  to  those  in  the  trench,  "  Sur 
render,  Yanks!"  and  the  response  was,  "Come  and  get  us." 
Once  or  twice  a  sally  was  attempted,  but  failed.  Then  a  few 
hand  grenades  were  thrown  over,  most  of  which,  having  re 
ceived  too  great  impetus,  fell  beyond  the  ditch.  During  the 


246  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

afternoon  they  began  to  roll  grenades  down  over  the  crest  of 
the  parapet.  These  were  stopped  by  holding  up  a  rail  upon 
bayonets  at  the  edge  of  the  crest.  Only  one  of  these  shells 
dangerously  hurt  any  of  those  in  the  ditch,  but  that  one, 
bursting  under  Richard  Haney  as  he  lay  against  the  slope, 
instantly  killed  him.  He  was  buried  where  he  died,  by  the 
Confederates,  two  or  three  days  after.  After  dark  the  party 
fell  back  a  few  at  a  time,  carrying  with  them  the  wounded, 
and  Trogden  climbed  to  the  parapet  and  brought  away  the 
flag. 

Of  the  one  hundred  and  fifty,  nineteen  were  killed  and 
thirty-four  wounded,  including  the  two  senior  officers.  Ser 
geant  Larrabee  narrates  that  as  he  lay  upon  the  slope  near 
the  top  a  hand  grenade  came  over  near  him,  and  in  attempt 
ing  to  avoid  it  he  raised  his  head  sufficiently  to  get  a  glimpse 
of  the  inside  of  the  bastion.  It  seemed  to  him  "a  solid  mass 
of  men."  Just  then  a  rebel  shot  him  through  the  neck,  the 
muzzle  of  the  gun  being  so  near  that  powder  from  it  was 
blown  into  his  face,  the  marks  of  which  he  carries  to  this 
day.  Donahue  and  Smith  were  victims  of  the  first  volley, 
the  former  being  instantly  killed,  the  latter  mortally  wounded. 

CASUALTIES   OF   FIFTY-FIFTH    ILL.  VOL.   INFTY.,   BEFORE 
VICKSBURG,  MAY  22,  1863. 

KILLED.  COMPANY.  REMARKS. 

JOHN  BURNS,  sergeant.  A.  Side  crushed  by  cannon  ball. 

RICHARD  HANEY.  sergeant.  F.  Killed  instantly  by  grenade. 

DAVID  A.  SULLIVAN.  F.  Shot  through  breast. 

MARTIN  BELLWOOD.  -K.  Musket  ball  through  head. 

JAMES  DONAHUE.  K.  Shot  in  body. 

WOUNDED. 

HENRY  LENHART,  corporal.  A.  Slightly,  in  arm. 

BARTHOLY  HOLDEN.  A.  Slightly,  in  hand. 

JOHN  H.  FISHER,  corporal.  B.  Slightly,  in  right  hip. 

JOHN  WARDEN,  corporal.  E.  Musket  ball  through  legs. 

MARTIN  POPP.  E.  Feet  shot  away  by  cannon  ball. 

JOHN  SMITH.  E.  Mortally,  bullet  in  thigh. 

AMOS  SANFORD,  corporal.  F.  Face  burnt  by  grenade. 

WILLIAM  J.  KENNEDY.  G.  Arm  broken;  died  June  25. 

HORACE  T.  HEALEY,  lieutenant.      H.  Bullet  through  shoulder. 

CHARLES  DHELO.  I.  Cannon  ball  wound  in  shoulder. 

PETER  EBERSOLD.  I.  Slightly,  in  head. 


A    BRIEF    TRUCE.  247 

WOUNDED.  COMPANY.        REMARKS. 

JAMES  W.  LARRABEE,  sergeant,         I.     Bullet  through  neck. 
ALEXANDER  LITTLEFIELD.  I.    Slightly,  in  face. 

JOHN  SHIELDS.  I.    Musket  ball  in  leg. 

Sullivan  was  acting  as  orderly  for  the  colonel,  and  having 
been  sent  by  him  to  the  commissary  department  with  a  can 
teen,  fell  dead,  shot  through  the  heart,  as  he  was  returning 
over  the  ridge.  He  was  a  bright,  brave  youth.  Kennedy 
was  on  duty  in  the  ordnance  department,  but  for  some  reason 
went  out  to  the  front  and  was  there  struck  by  a  bullet  which 
broke  his  arm.  The  wound  might  not  have  proved  danger 
ous  but  for  the  upsetting  of  the  ambulance  on  its  way  to  the 
hospital,  by  which  accident  he  received  additional  injuries, 
causing  his  death. 

May  24th  our  brigade  received  a  new  commander  in  the 
person  of  Brigadier-General  J.  A.  J.  Lightburn.  He  was 
from  the  Eastern  army,  a  total  stranger  to  our  division,  and 
the  reason  for  his  unwelcome  assignment  over  us  was  a  riddle 
about  which  we  often  worried,  but  which  we  never  solved. 
The  next  day  a  cessation  of  hostilities  was  declared  on  the 
motion  of  General  Pemberton,  "in  the  name  of  humanity," 
continuing  from  six  until  half-past  eight  o'clock  in  the  after 
noon,  to  give  opportunity  for  the  burial  of  the  slain,  many  of 
whom  yet  remained  near  or  in  the  trenches,  where  they  had 
fallen  on  the  nineteenth  and  twenty-second  of  the  month. 
A  few  bodies,  being  in  too  advanced  a  stage  of  decomposi 
tion  for  removal,  were  buried  by  the  Confederates  where  they 
lay;  but  most  of  the  dead  were  brought  back  to  an  estab 
lished  line  by  stretcher  bearers  detailed  for  that  purpose  by 
the  rebel  officers,  and  were  there  received  by  comrades  and 
carried  to  graves  prepared  for  them.  Towards  the  end  of 
this  distressful  scene  an  affecting  incident  was  witnessed  by 
many.  A  Confederate  sentinel  on  the  line,  looking  at  a  group 
of  Union  soldiers  approaching,  suddenly  exclaimed,  "Good 
God!  John,  is  that  you?"  and  springing  forward  the  two 
men,  one  in  blue  and  one  in  grey,  were  clasped  in  each  others 
arms.  They  were  brothers. 

On  the  twenty-sixth  after  dark  the  regiment  was  marched 
about  six  miles  north  along  the  Walnut  Hills,  going  into 


248  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

bivouac  at  midnight.  In  the  early  morning  advancing  to 
Snyder's  Bluff,  we  found  ourselves  assigned  to  a  select  divis 
ion  sent  out  on  a  reconnoissance  under  command  of  General 
Blair,  in  search  of  a  rebel  force  supposed  to  be  prowling 
about  the  Yazoo  valley,  and  instructed  to  destroy  all  stores 
which  could  be  of  use  to  the  rebel  army.  On  the  night  of 
May  2/th  we  camped  at  Mill  Springs,  twelve  miles  from 
Haines's  Bluff,  and  on  the  two  following  days  made  leisurely 
marches  of  ten  or  twelve  miles.  We  passed  through  Mc- 
chanicsburg  on  the  thirtieth,  which  was  the  limit  of  our 
advance,  although  the  van  reached  a  point  within  twelve 
miles  of  Yazoo  City,  having  unimportant  skirmishes  with  cav 
alry.  May  3 1st  the  division  encamped  at  Haines's  Bluff.  It 
had  subsisted  upon  the  country,  destroyed  granaries,  cotton, 
and  the  bridges  over  all  streams  between  the  Big  Black  and 
the  Yazoo,  and  brought  back  from  the  fertile  bottom  lands 
a  long  wagon  train  loaded  down  with  grain  and  forage,  and 
an  immense  herd  of  mules,  horses,  sheep  and  cattle.  Here 
the  Fifty-fifth  rested  three  days,  and  again  took  its  place  in 
the  second  line  behind  Vicksburg.  It  had  marched  during 
the  month  two  hundred  and  forty  miles. 

Regular  siege  operations  by  this  date  were  well  under  way. 
The  pick,  spade  and  sap-roller  had  replaced  the  bayonet,  and 
skillfully  intrenched  batteries  were  beginning  their  vociferous 
arguments.  There  seemed  at  first  some  doubt  where  to  use 
the  regiment,  for  on  the  fourth  of  June,  receiving  marching 
orders,  it  had  proceeded  a  mile  or  two  on  a  road  towards  the 
left  wing,  when  a  countermanding  order  came  and  it  was 
marched  back  to  the  familiar  ravine.  Details  of  men  were 
called  for  night  and  day  to  work  in  the  trenches.  The  par 
allels  and  approaches,  laid  out  and  constructed  under  direc 
tion  of  engineer  officers  of  the  regular  army,  were  more 
elaborate  than  any  we  had  yet  seen.  Heavy  bags  of  sand 
were  aligned  on  the  ordinary  earth  parapet  with  just  space 
enough  between  each  two  for  the  musket  barrel  of  the  sharp 
shooter,  and  on  these  heavy  head-logs  were  raised;  while  at 
points  where  there  was  risk  of  an  enfilading  fire,  the  whole 
way  was  covered  with  logs  and  earth  so  that  those  passing 
to  and  fro  could  walk  without  fear; — in  fact  more  safely  than 


SIEGE    OPERATIONS.  249 

in  the  ravines  at  the  rear  where  glancing  bullets  and  bursting 
shells  found  many  a  victim.  The  pioneers  had  in  every 
ravine  the  greatest  abundance  of  vines,  cane  and  saplings  for 
the  fabrication  of  gabions  and  fascines,  and  the  yellow-clay 
formation  of  the.  hills  is  peculiarly  favorable  for  mining 
operations. 

On  the  eighth  of  June  we  relieved  a  brigade  in  the  front 
line,  facing  the  redan  on  the  Graveyard  Road,  named  by  us 
Fort  Pemberton,  which  had  been  the  objective  point  of  our 
two  assaults.  We  occupied  and  improved  the  neat  cane- 
woven  huts  our  predecessors  had  built  among  the  oaks.  A 
battery  of  thirty-pounder  Parrott  rifles  crowned  the  crest  just 
above  us  at  the  left,  which  every  morning  nearly  deafened  us 
with  its  din.  In  this  location  the  Fifty-fifth  remained  until 
the  end  of  the  siege,  well  sheltered  by  the  foliage  from  the 
blazing  sun  and  by  the  brow  of  the  hill  from  hostile  missiles; 
save  that  sometimes  one  of  the  thousands  of  minie  balls  that 
daily  went  hissing  over  our  heads  would  glance  down,  or  a 
shell  would  tear  off  the  limb  of  a  tree  to  drop  among  us. 
Even  a  paymaster,  Major  Judd,  was  induced  to  make  us  an 
official  visit  in  this  camp,  June  26th.  We  had  far  more  dis 
tinguished  visitors.  The  commanding  general  established 
his  headquarters  at  a  short  distance  directly  in  our  rearj  and 
almost  every  day  General  Grant  came  to  our  front,  very  often 
accompanied  by  General  Sherman.  The  one  taciturn,  smok 
ing  slowly,  his  impassive  face  telling  no  tales  of  any  work 
ings  of  the  mind  within, —  the  other  nervously  chewing  a 
cigar  and  voluble,  his  restless  eyes  noting  everything  within 
the  field  of  vision, —  they  would  shelter  themselves  from  the 
deadly  marksmen  of  the  fort  behind  convenient  tree-trunks, 
thoroughly  and  coolly  view  the  situation  and  retire  discuss 
ing  it. 

Over  two  hundred  guns  were  at  last  strongly  intrenched, 
threatening  every  point  in  the  seven  miles  of  defensive 
fortifications  about  the  hundred  hilled  city,  and  a  general 
bombardment  was  ordered  June  2Oth.  During  the  whole 
forenoon  the  roar  was  incessant  and  terrible,  and  the  tornado 
of  shot  and  shell  tore  the  ramparts  at  some  points  into 
almost  shapeless  mounds.  But  the  work  of  a  night  and  a 


250  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

few  cotton  bales  would  repair  all  the  damages  done.  The 
Confederate  artillery  seldom  replied  because,  as  he  afterwards 
stated  in  his  report,  General  Pemberton  felt  it  advisable  to 
economize  his  stock  of  ammunition  although  large,  in 
expectation  of  numerous  assaults  and  a  protracted  siege. 
Our  artillery,  however,  was  numerically  so  much  the  superior 
that  when  a  rebel  battery  opened  upon  us  it  was  quickly 
silenced  by  the  fire  concentrated  upon  it,  and  the  guns  had 
to  be  removed  to  new  positions  to  save  them  from  destruc 
tion.  The  Union  batteries  were  busiest  during  the  morning 
and  evening  hours,  resting  in  the  middle  of  the  day  when 
the  heat  was  generally  intense.  The  popping  of  the  sharp 
shooters'  rifles  was  continuous,  and  the  lines  soon  coming 
very  close  to  each  other  everywhere,  it  became  extremely 
hazardous  to  show  a  figf&e  above  the  parapet.  Thus  during 
the  hours  of  daylight  the  tumult,  like  that  of  a  great  battle, 
rarely  paused;  but  the  daily  casualties  were  not  very  numer 
ous,  although  generally  serious  or  fatal,  many  being  shot 
in  the  head.  Hair-breadth  escapes  were  so  common 
occurrences  in  our  experience  that  they  called  forth  no  more 
remark  among  us  than  would  a  needle's  prick  in  a  sewing 
circle. 

By  night  strong  covering  parties  were  picketed  to  protect 
those  working  in  the  saps,  and  the  enemy,  wherever  the 
ground  permitted,  also  stationed  pickets  in  advance  of  their 
intrenchments  to  guard  against  a  surprise.  Captain  Browne, 
who  had  been  detailed  on  staff  duty  at  brigade  headquarters, 
as  he  was  posting  the  sentinels  one  night,  was  suddenly 
halted  by  a  sharp  summons:  "Surrender,  Yank!  Throw 
up  your  hands  or  we'll  fire."  The  captain  had  mistaken 
either  distance  or  direction  in  the  darkness,  or  the  Confeder 
ates  had  crept  beyond  their  usual  position,  and  he  with  his 
two  companions  were  in  close  proximity  to  a  hostile  picket 
post.  Notwithstanding  the  tantalizing  remembrance  of 
pressing  engagements  elsewhere,  there  seemed  nothing  to 
do  but  yield  as  gracefully  as  possible  to  the  invitation  so 
urgently  proffered.  The  horrible  shadow  of  a  Confederate 
prison  hung  over  them  oppressively  near.  The  rebel  officer, 
who  had  risen  from  behind  a  huge  stump,  ordered  his  men 


THE    MORTAR    SHELLS.  251 

to  take  the  captain  to  the  rear.  Now  or  never!  One 
desperate  leap  for  liberty,  a  headlong  rush  and  tumble,  and 
the  grey-headed,  but  still  agile,  captain  was  out  of  sight  in 
the  gloom,  his  comrades  following  close,  unhurt  by  the 
bullets  hurriedly  sent  in  pursuit  of  them. 

After  a  time  it  became  the  custom  for  the  men  on  outpost 
duty,  by  mutual  agreement,  to  abstain  from  firing  upon  each 
other;  a  contract  extremely  favorable  to  our  labor  details. 
Private  interchange  of  Union  hard-tack  and  coffee  for  Con 
federate  tobacco  was  not  uncommon.  A  Mississippian  one 
night  inquired  for  the  whereabouts  of  the  Fifty-fourth  Ohio, 
and  being  told  that  the  Fifty-fourth  men  were  our  particular 
friends  and  near  neighbors,  asked  that  Sergeant  -  -  of  that 
regiment,  if  alive,  might  be  notified  to  come  to  the  picket 
line  at  a  certain  hour  the  next  night,  where  he  would  recover 
something  of  great  value  to  him.  The  sergeant  was  found, 
and  appearing  as  requested,  received  from  the  Southerner  a 
letter  enclosing  the  likeness  of  his  sweetheart,  which  he  had 
somehow  lost  during  the  battle  of  Shiloh. 

In  our  immediate  front  the  saps  were  soon  carried  so  near 
the  bastion  that  hand  grenades  came  into  use,  and  even 
field-artillery  shells  were  tossed  to  and  fro,  very  rarely  doing 
much  execution  —  upon  our  side,  at  least. 

The  navy  completed  the  ring  of  fire  about  the  doomed 
city.  We  could  daily  hear  the  roar  of  the  ten-inch  and  one 
hundred-pounder  rifled  guns,  both  below  and  above  the  town, 
pounding  away  at  the  water  batteries.  From  our  camp, 
although  not  far  distant  from  the  river,  the  water  could  not 
be  seen  because  of  intervening  forest;  but  by  night,  usually 
at  intervals  of  fifteen  minutes  or  less,  a  flash  as  of  lightning 
below  the  horizon  glowed  above  the  woods,  and  a  dull  red 
star  would  come  up  out  of  the  flash,  curving  towards  the  city. 
Higher  and  higher  it  rose,  until  at  an  immense  apparent  alti 
tude  it  became  for  an  instant  a  fixed  star  in  some  reigning 
constellation,  and  then  faster  and  faster  in  downward  haste  it 
rushed  along  its  parabolic  course,  gradually  brightening  and 
leaving  a  faint  phosphorescent  trail,  at  last  to  break  into  a 
blaze  of  red  and  blue  flame,  followed  by  darkness.  The  roar 
of  the  mortar  as  its  twenty-five  pound  charge  of  powder 


252  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

hurled  forth  the  huge  projectile  thirteen  inches  in  diameter, 
would  just  reach  us  when  the  missile  attained  its  highest 
point;  and  the  sound  of  the  exploding  shell,  nearer  us  by  a 
mile  or  more,  came  about  fifteen  seconds  after  the  dazzling 
flame;  while  quick  succeeding,  if  the  night  were  very  still, 
could  be  heard  the  crash  of  breaking  trees  or  pierced  roof, 
as  the  ragged  iron  fragments  tore  through  the  oaks  or  plunged 
into  the  buildings. 

Mines  were  pushed  under  the  chief  salients  by  the  pion 
eers,  which  the  countermining  of  the  defenders  rarely  inter 
sected.  The  redan  confronting  the  brigade  of  General  M. 
D.  Leggett,  a  mile  to  our  left,  had  been  very  effectually 
undermined,  and  the  hour  of  three  in  the  afternoon  of  June 
25th  was  assigned  for  exploding  a  ton  of  powder  that  had 
been  sealed  up  beneath  it.  This  important  salient,  commonly 
styled  Fort  Hill,  was  prominently  in  view  from  either  flank, 
and  the  moment  assigned  for  firing  the  train  was  generally 
known.  The  eyes  of  thousands  drawn  up  in  battle  line  as 
for  assault  were  intently  fixed  upon  the  position  as  the  time 
drew  near.  The  Fifty-fifth  took  a  very  personal  interest  in 
the  scene,  from  the  fact  that  but  a  few  hundred  feet  before 
its  own  camp  a  similar  mine  was  then  excavated  and  nearly 
ready  to  receive  its  charge  of  powder.  A  few  days  more 
and  we  were  expecting  to  be  called  upon  to  become  promi 
nent  actors  in  a  similar  enterprise.  About  half-past  three  the 
parapet  was  seen  to  heave,  and  instantly  up  rose  a  huge  dark 
column  of  earth,  mingled  with  timber,  tools  and  bodies  of 
men,  in  the  centre  of  which  for  a  second  gleamed  a  lurid 
flame  wreathed  in  white  smoke.  From  the  platform  of  the 
battery  where  we  stood  we  could  see,  as  the  dust  settled  back 
and  the  smoke  drifted  away,  that  the  face  of  the  redan  had 
sunk  into  a  shapeless  hillock,  over  which  a  storming  party, 
with  the  stars  and  stripes  in  their  van,  were  struggling  to  the 
charge,  while  on  the  other  hand  the  Confederate  reserves, 
expectant  of  a  general  assault,  were  everywhere  hastening 
towards  the  threatened  points.  A  heavy  musketry  fire  across 
the  crater  lasted  until  dark,  while  our  artillery  and  sharp 
shooters  from  every  quarter  sent  their  missiles  of  many 
calibres  hissing,  whistling  and  shrieking  into  and  over  the 


BLOWING    UP    A    REDAN.  253 

trenches.  Half  the  fort  was  finally  won  and  held  with  great 
sacrifice  of  life,  but  the  enemy,  fully  aware  of  the  existence 
of  a  mine  though  they  failed  to  reach  it  with  their  counter 
mines,  had  constructed  another  work  in  the  rear  as  strong  as 
that  destroyed. 

While  a  group  of  men  were  watching  the  assault  from  be 
hind  the  battery  above  our  camp,  supposing  themselves 
completely  sheltered  from  hostile  bullets,  a  minie  ball  from  a 
sharp-shooter's  rifle  half  a  mile  away  struck  Corporal  Mur 
phy  in  the  forehead,  killing  him  instantly.  He  was  a  young 
man  of  attractive  presence  and  character,  who  had  left  his 
studies,  impelled  by  patriotism,  to  enlist,  and  was  loved  and 
respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 

In  the  afternoon  of  July  ist  we  were  again  assembled  to 
see  the  second  redan  in  the  same  locality,  with  its  unfortu 
nate  occupants,  blown  into  the  air,  but  no  attempt  was  this 
time  made  to  storm  the  crater. 

Now  and  then  willingly-captured  pickets  were  brought  in 
by  our  men  at  night.  They  all  told  the  same  tale  of  being 
worn  out  with  sleeplessness  and  fatigue;  of  hospitals  crowded 
with  sick  and  wounded;  of  women  and  children  slain  in  the 
city  by  fragments  of  shells.  They  sometimes  had  with  them 
copies  of  a  newspaper,  the  Daily  Citizen,  published  in  Vicks- 
burg  at  fifty  cents  a  copy,  printed  on  the  blank  side  of  half 
a  yard  of  wall  paper.  They  reported  that  the  whole  popula 
tion  had  little  caves  dug  in  the  clay  hills,  into  which  they 
retreated  like  woodchucks  into  their  burrows  whenever  the 
rain  of  shot  and  shell  fell  fiercest.  They  bitterly  complained 
that  their  daily  ration  of  meat  was  but  a  mouthful  of  bacon, 
and  half  spoiled  at  that;  that  beef  and  flour  and  even  corn 
meal  had  long  been  exhausted,  and  that  they  had  neither  cof 
fee  nor  any  substitute  therefor;  that  raw  pork  and  musty 
pea-meal  bread  formed  a  monotonous  diet,  and  that  whiskey 
cost  one  hundred  dollars  per  gallon  in  Confederate  money. 

In  short,  these  deserters  confirmed  in  us  the  belief  that 
the  end  could  not  be  far  away.  At  night  from  our  camp  we 
could  hear  "Yank"  and  "Johnny"  bandying  jibes  with  each 
other  across  the  brief  interval  that  separated  them,  and  chat 
ting  of  this  and  that;  and  Yank  was  wont  to  close  with: 


254  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

"Well,  Johnny,  Old  Unconditional  has  promised  us  that  we 
shall  dine  in  Vicksburg  on  Independence-day,  and  he  will 
keep  his  word,  you  bet!"  This  threat  was  even  printed  in 
the  city  paper.  Indeed  the  soldiers  themselves,  from  the 
forwardness  of  preparations  at  various  points,  believed  that 
another  assault  was  to  be  made  on  the  fourth  of  July,  and 
they  meant  it  should  succeed  this  time.  The  tired  garrison 
read  the  belief  behind  the  jest  and  were  despondent  in 
proportion  to  our  confidence.  This  disheartenment  in  the 
Confederate  ranks  doubtless  hastened  the  surrender,  for  the 
officers  feared  the  assault  and  had  lost  all  trust  in  Johnston's 
ability  or  will  to  make  any  effective  attempt  at  their  relief. 
That  prudent  general,  we  well  knew,  was  preparing  to  dash 
with  a  large  force  across  the  Big  Black  for  a  desperate  effort 
to  help  the  imprisoned  enemy.  But  we  also  knew  that 
Sherman  was  in  our  rear  watching  him,  and  desiring  nothing 
better  than  to  see  that  horde,  half  made  up  of  ill  disciplined 
recruits  and  conscripts,  attack  his  strong  lines  manned  as 
they  were  by  seasoned  veterans. 

Friday,  July  3d,  the  forty-sixth  day  of  the  siege  opened, 
the  sun  sending  down  its  fiercest  rays  from  a  brazen  sky. 
Even  the  customary  morning  salutation  of  our  batteries  to 
the  foe  seemed  languid,  and  at  a  very  early  hour  nearly  all 
firing  ceased,  save  from  the  river;  consequently  the  navy 
seemed  more  noisily  busy  than  usual.  Before  noon  a  rumor 
ran  from  man  to  man  and  camp  to  camp  with  telegraphic 
speed,  quickening  each  heart  with  an  electric  thrill  of  joyous 
expectation,  that  a  flag  of  truce  had  come  out  from  General 
Pemberton  asking  for  terms  of  capitulation.  Soon  the  lines 
of  men  in  grey  and  the  lines  of  men  in  blue,  lean  over  or 
climb  their  respective  parapets  and  gossip  flippantly  to 
conceal  their  anxiety.  In  the  course  of  the  afternoon  the 
mortars  cease  their  fire,  and  silence  becomes  almost  oppress 
ive.  The  camps  at  night  are  as  quiet  as  though  there  had 
been  neither  war  nor  rumor  of  war  in  the  land.  At  the  dawn 
the  hush  of  painful  suspense  was  relieved,  for  all  along  the 
dread  ramparts  which  we  had  been  girding  ourselves  to 
storm,  gleamed  the  white  signals  of  surrender.  Yet  there 
was  little  that  was  boisterous  in  the  glad  acclamation;  but 


THE    SURRENDER.  255 

universally  joy-illumined  countenances,  hand  shakes  of 
mutual  congratulation,  moist  eyes  and  silent  prayers  of 
thankfulness,  attested  the  depth  of  feeling.  Every  regiment 
was  held  within  its  lines  until  at  ten  o'clock  the  traitorous 
but  brave  grey  brigades  filed  out,  each  upon  its  own  front, 
stacked  arms,  hung  upon  the  stacks  the  various  accoutre 
ments,  placed  the  colors  at  the  centre  of  each  regimental 
line  —  all  at  words  of  command  given  in  so  low  a  tone  that 
we  could  not  hear  them — and  returned  as  they  came, 
marching  towards  the  city.  On  our  part  there  was  no 
cheering,  but  we  silently  gazed  upon  the  spectacle  presented 
by  this  sad  procession  of  our  humbled  foe  with  the  respect 
ful  demeanor  of  those  who  stand  where  a  funeral  pageant 
passes.  Soon  after  the  starry  banner  was  raised  upon  the 
court-house  and  the  navy  with  all  its  bunting  displayed 
steered  for  the  landing,  blowing  steam  whistles  and  firing 
the  national  salute,  now  doubly  appropriate  to  the  day 
consecrated  to  Liberty. 

CASUALTIES    OF    FIFTY-FIFTH    ILL.  VOL.   INFTY.,  DURING 

THE    SIEGE. 

NAMES.  COMPANY.  REMARKS. 

THOMAS  J.  ELRODD,  A.    Shot  through  thigh,  mortally,  June 

17,  when  going  to  spring. 
JAMES  B.  MURPHY,  corporal.       G.     Killed  by  bullet  in  forehead.  June 

25. 
PETER  GALLIGAN.  G.    Slightly  wounded  in  shoulder  by 

shell,  July  2. 
WILLIAM  WALKER.  K.    Shot  through  arm,  flesh  wound, 

July  2. 

Already  the  Fifty-fifth  had  marching  orders: — "Be  ready 
to  move  with  ten  days'  rations  at  short  notice" — and  no 
opportunity  was  given  to  explore  the  captured  city.  A  brief 
visit  over  the  lines  in  our  front  disclosed  along  their  rear 
slopes  a  confused  jumble  of  disabled  cannon,  damaged 
wheels,  wrecks  of  caissons,  dead  mules,  empty  ammunition 
boxes,  cotton  bales,  useless  muskets,  worn  out  clothing  and 
discarded  equipments.  The  works  though  amply  strong 
were  inferior  to  our  own  in  extent  and  neatness  of  construc 
tion.  The  inner  trench  was  bestrewn  with  grenades  and 
shell  ready  for  use  in  the  expected  assault,  and  abundant 


256  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

evidence  appeared  that  the  garrison  had  no  dearth  of  sup 
plies  save  percussion-caps  and  provisions.  Fragments  of  the 
huge  shells  of  the  navy  and  the  shot  and  shell  of  the  land 
batteries  belittered  the  fields  and  roads,  and  every  tree  was 
maimed.  But  what  most  engaged  the  soldiers'  attention  was 
the  multitude  of  little  holes  excavated  in  the  hill  slopes, 
covered  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  almost  shell  proof.  So 
numerous  were  they  that  each  man  must  have  had  one,  into 
which  when  off  duty  he  could  dive  like  a  gopher  to  escape 
the  all-searching  bullets.  An  examination  of  the  arms  and 
equipments  surrendered  showed  them  to  be  of  superior  class. 
The  guns  were  chiefly  Enfield  rifles  which  had  been  brought 
into  the  Confederacy  by  the  blockade  runners.  General 
Pemberton's  army  was  the  best  appointed  we  had  yet  met. 

We  knew  that  Port  Hudson  only  waited  the  news  from 
Vicksburg  before  yielding  to  General  Banks.  The  Confed 
eracy  was  at  last  cut  in  twain,  and  the  Father  of  Waters, 
again  free  of  blockade  from  source  to  sea,  thenceforward  was 
to  lend  all  his  mighty  forces  to  the  protection  of  the  Union. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


THE   JACKSON    CAMPAIGN. —  CAMP    SHERMAN. 


AT  five  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  July  5th  the  regiment 
moved  out  from  its  little  camp  beneath  the  oaks  and 
marched  towards  the  Big  Black.  The  enemy  having  been 
driven  from  the  opposite  shore  of  that  stream  by  artillery, 
and  a  bridge  constructed,  we  crossed  at  Messenger's  Ford  the 
next  day.  Thence  we  advanced,  pursuing  the  direct  road 
for  Jackson,  constantly  retarded  by  skirmishing  in  front. 
Towards  night  of  the  seventh  a  terrific  thunder  storm  burst 
over  the  weary  battalions,  and  amid  the  awe-compelling  ele 
mental  war  before  which  the  red  bale-fires  of  battle  "pale 
uneffectual,"  we  went  into  bivouac  near  Bolton.  We  reached 
the  vicinity  of  Clinton  on  the  eighth,  and  came  within  sight 
of  Mississippi's  capital  on  the  night  of  the  ninth.  The 
weather  was  of  the  hottest;  the  dust  rose  in  suffocating 
clouds  about  the  sweltering  columns,  and  the  men  suffered 
wofully.  Several  were  seriously  affected  with  sunstroke,  and 
others  were  constantly  seen  dropping  out  of  the  ranks  and 
lagging  behind  from  exhaustion.  The  little  water-courses 
were  now  mostly  dry  gravel  beds,  and  the  few  natural  or  arti 
ficial  reservoirs  of  water  remaining  had  been  maliciously 
polluted  by  throwing  into  them  the  carcasses  of  slain  animals. 
About  mid-forenoon  of  the  tenth  we  moved  within  gunshot 
of  Johnston's  intrenchments  surrounding  Jackson,  his  artillery 
greeting  our  advance  with  a  few  harmless  shells.  Our  posi 
tion  was  near  the  centre  of  the  lines  of  investment. 
17 


258  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

During  the  tenth  and  eleventh  hostilities  were  chiefly  con 
fined  to  the  artillery,  and  our  guns  were  served  but  slowly  for 
the  ammunition  trains  had  not  reached  us.  On  the  twelfth  a 
furious  but  brief  cannonade,  accompanied  with  volleys  of 
musketry,  was  heard  upon  the  right,  caused  by  a  general  ad 
vance  of  that  wing  of  the  army,  and  more  especially  by  an 
unfortunate  charge  of  a  brigade  of  General  Lauman's  divis 
ion  which  ended  in  a  repulse  and  needless  bloodshed.  That 
day  we  began  intrenching  as  for  regular  siege.  The  ground 
compared  with  that  we  had  lately  fought  over,  was  quite 
level.  The  forest  had  been  felled  for  a  width  of  several 
hundred  feet  wherever  it  approached  the  defensive  works, 
which  were  built  of  cotton  bales  covered  with  earth,  and  at 
suitable  points  were  enlarged  into  bastions,  turfed  and 
constructed  with  embrasures  for  several  guns,  which  had  an 
enfilading  fire  upon  the  wide  open  spaces  on  either  flank. 
General  Sherman  had  evidently  no  intention  of  ordering  any 
hasty  or  unnecessary  assaults  upon  such  defences,  manned 
as  we  knew  them  to  be  by  an  army  as  large  as  that  which 
had  held  us  at  bay  seven  weeks  before  Vicksburg.  We  lay 
quiet  by  day  and  worked  diligently  upon  the  trenches  in  the 
shades  of  night. 

At  noon,  on  the  fourteenth,  a  truce  was  declared  for  the 
burial  of  those  slain  on  the  twelfth,  and  the  pickets  in  our 
front  stacked  arms,  met  each  other  half  way,  and  fraternized 
for  three  or  four  hours.  Each  side  had  very  important  news 
to  impart  to  the  other,  inasmuch  as  the  account  of  Meade's 
great  victory  over  Lee  and  the  destruction  of  the  Con 
federate  army  at  Gettysburg  had  just  reached  us,  and  our 
opponents  had  recent  advices  of  Lee's  great  victory  over 
Meade,  at  the  same  place,  and  the  annihilation  of  the  Union 
army — both  on  the  day  of  Vicksburg's  surrender.  As 
neither  could  be  expected  wholly  to  distrust  their  sources 
of  information,  this  subject  had  to  subside,  awaiting  later 
advices.  About  the  fact  that  Vicksburg  had  fallen  there 
could  be  no  dispute;  but  the  rage  against  Pemberton  for  its 
surrender  was  so  vociferous  and  unreasonably  bitter — going 
even  to  the  length  of  charging  him  with  being  a  traitor 
bought  and  paid  for — that  one  of  us  pointedly  suggested  to 


THE    REVOLVING    RIFLE.  259 

these  bellicose  critics  that  they  should  wait  calmly  a  few 
days,  when  they  might,  guided  by  some  instructive  experi 
ence  of  their  own,  arrive  at  a  less  captious  judgment.  The 
Johnnies,  as  usual,  had  their  rough  and  ready  rejoinders  in 
which  always  figured  such  stereotyped  phrases  as:  "We'll 
die  in  the  last  ditch  before  we'll  surrender;"  "You-uns  can't 
ever  conquer  we-uns;"  "Why  don't  you  take  Richmond?" 

All  belligerent  feelings  were  apparently  left  behind  with 
the  stacked  muskets.  Neither  the  blood  that  had  been 
spilled  nor  thoughts  of  the  morrow,  with  its  myriad  dangers, 
cast  any  spells  upon  good  fellowship  and  mirth.  Jokers  in 
grey  and  humorists  in  blue  plied  their  festive  witticisms, 
vying  with  each  other  to  win  the  ready  laugh  of  the  listeners. 
A  little  before  the  hour  that  was  to  end  the  truce,  a  rebel 
colonel  came  out  to  the  front  among  the  men,  clad  in  a  coat 
bereft  of  most  of  its  tail.  He  called  attention  to  this,  and 
explaining  that  the  missing  cloth  had  been  carried  away  by 
a  shot  from  our  artillery,  asked  his  Yankee  auditors  if  any 
of  them  could  boast  a  closer  call  than  that  proved.  After 
hearing  much  wonderment  expressed  at  his  escape,  "O," 
said  he,  "I  forgot  to  mention  that  when  this  coat  was 
thus  curtailed  it  hung  not  on  me,  but  on  a  tree!"  After  the 
uproar  of  ha-has  that  greeted  this  cheap  sally  had  subsided, 
the  same  officer  asked:  "Who  was  that,  last  Saturday,  in  the 
oak  covered  with  grape-vine  yonder?  He  cleaned  out  a 
whole  picket  post  for  me,  killing  and  wounding  several 
men."  "That  was  Sergeant  Ridenour  of  the  Fifty-fifth 
Illinois,  with  his  revolving  rifle,"  was  the  reply.  "Well,  I'd 
like  to  make  the  sergeant's  acquaintance  —  after  the  war." 
And  ordering  his  men  back  to  their  places,  in  a  brief  time 
the  jovial  gossips  had  become  vigilant  foemen  again,  doing 
their  best  to  take  each  other's  lives. 

The  exploit  referred  to  by  the  colonel  deserves  further 
mention.  Company  A  being  on  picket  during  the  eleventh 
of  July,  was  seriously  annoyed  by  the  enemy's  sharp-shoot 
ers,  and  the  orderly-sergeant  was  sent  with  a  squad  of  five 
or  six  picked  marksmen  along  the  bed  of  a  little  creek,  then 
almost  dry,  to  try  to  abate  the  nuisance.  After  posting  his 
men,  the  sergeant  himself  crept  on  within  shorter  range  of 


260  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

the  rebel  lines  and  found  a  double  stump  under  the  shadow 
of  a  vine-clad  tree  on  the  bank  of  the  creek,  peculiarly 
adapted  to  his  purpose.  He  was  not  only  an  excellent  shot 
but  carried  a  noted  five-chambered  Colt's  rifle,  which  had 
been  used  with  potent  effect  to  persuade  enlistments  for  the 
Douglas  Brigade,  all  the  recruits  for  certain  companies  being 
assured  they  would  probably  be  armed  with  .one  of  those 
wonderful  weapons.  The  magazine  rifles  had  not  then 
appeared  in  the  army.  Watching  for  a  mark,  the  sergeant 
saw  an  officer  in  full  view  walking  a  little  behind  the  rifle- 
pits,  and  fired  at  him,  only,  however,  to  make  him  hastily 
dodge  under  cover.  The  smoke  of  the  gun  of  course 
disclosed  the  lurking  place  of  the  sergeant,  and  a  score  of 
hostile  bullets  came  like  angry  hornets  in  search  of  him. 
One  of  the  rebels,  who  exposed  himself  in  firing,  became 
a  victim  to  the  sergeant's  second  shot,  and,  keeping  the  rifle 
in  the  same  position,  another  suffered  from  his  deadly  aim 
while  gesticulating  contemptuously  and  shouting,  "shoot 
again,"  evidently  laboring  under  the  mistaken  impression 
that  the  rifle,  even  if  a  double  barreled  one,  was  now 
unloaded.  Bullets  hissed  through  the  grape-vine  and  into 
the  oak  harmlessly;  but  when  the  rifle  spoke  from  between 
the  twin  stumps  some  rebel  had  a  narrow  escape,  or  was 
borne  off  on  a  stretcher.  Those  remaining  soon  grew 
prudent,  avoided  exposing  themselves  even  to  fire  at  the 
grape-vine,  and  left  the  pickets  in  peace. 

Our  batteries  soon  gained  commanding  positions  whence 
their  shells  penetrated  every  part  of  the  city,  ammunition 
arrived,  and  when  the  sun  went  down  on  July  I5th,  every 
thing  pointed  to  an  energetic  bombardment  of  Mississippi's 
capital  on  the  morrow.  A  vigorous  and  obstinate  defence 
was  expected,  for  not  only  was  Jackson  the  seat  of  govern 
ment  containing  valuable  public  buildings  and  costly  private 
residences,  but  as  a  railroad  centre  it  possessed  much 
strategic  importance.  The  astute  General  Johnston,  how 
ever,  did  not  repeat  the  error  of  his  lieutenant,  Pemberton, 
by  allowing  himself  to  be  cooped  up  in  fortifications.  Before 
light,  the  next  morning,  a  large  fire  near  the  centre  of  the 
city  awakened  suspicion,  and  the  pickets  advanced  to  find 


IN    MISSISSIPPI'S    CAPITAL.  261 

the  enemy  gone.  General  Johnston,  from  the  hour  of  our 
approach,  had  been  quietly  shipping  eastward  by  rail  all  his 
war  material,  and  during  the  night  had  withdrawn  across  the 
Pearl  River  by  three  floating  bridges,  safely  removing  his 
sick  and  wounded  and  all  his  artillery  save  two  siege  guns, 
thus  leaving  to  us  a  somewhat  barren  victory.  This  was  not 
to  be  our  last  experience  of  this  general's  masterly  skill  in 
retrograde  strategy. 

Entering  the  city,  we  were  stationed  at  first  in  the  capitol, 
upon  the  dome  of  which  the  flag  of  the  Thirty-fifth  Massa 
chusetts  was  flying.  In  the  afternoon  we  crossed  the  river, 
expecting  to  follow  in  support  of  the  cavalry  and  a  division 
of  the  Fifteenth  Corps  sent  to  pursue  the  retreating  army, 
but  were  recalled  to  aid  in  extinguishing  fires  that  threatened 
to  destroy  the  city,  and  were  then  detailed  as  provost-guard 
and  went  into  bivouac  in  the  southerly  end  of  the  town. 
Deserters  from  Johnston's  army  and  stragglers  captured  by 
the  cavalry  were  constantly  coming  in.  The  city  was 
deserted  by  most  of  its  inhabitants.  Every  night  of  our 
stay,  one  or  more  fires  were  set  by  incendaries,  and  there 
seemed  a  disposition  on  the  part  of  the  soldiery  to  mete  out 
a  severe  punishment  to  the  place.  This  may  have  been  in 
part  because  it  was  the  capital  of  Jefferson  Davis's  state, 
but  was  more  probably  in  revenge  for  the  wanton  pollution 
of  the  water  supply  and  the  planting  of  torpedoes  in  the 
roadways.  By  these  last  cowardly  contrivances,  now  a 
soldier  and  now  a  citizen  was  murdered  or  mangled.  Finally 
squads  of  prisoners  were  sent  out  under  guard  to  find  and 
remove  them. 

The  infantry  having  destroyed  the  railroads  for  miles  to 
the  north  and  east,  and  the  artillery  having  battered  down 
with  captured  ammunition  the  brick  piers  of  the  bridge  over 
the  Pearl,  the  expedition  returned  towards  Vicksburg,  aban 
doning  Jackson  to  desolation.  The  return  march,  in  its 
fatigue  and  suffering  from  thirst  and  heat,  rivalled  that  of 
the  advance.  The  regiment  reached  Clinton  on  the  twenty- 
third,  Bolton  on  the  twenty-fourth,  and  on  Saturday,  July 
25th,  found  a  more  permanent  resting  place,  about  three 
miles  west  of  the  Big  Black,  which  received  the  name  Camp 


262  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

Sherman.  We  were  between  twelve  and  fifteen  miles  from 
Vicksburg.  Our  camp  and  garrison  equipage,  which  had 
been  brought  to  the  Yazoo  landing,  came  to  us  on  the  twenty- 
seventh,  and  in  the  shade  of  the  beech  woods  we  set  up  little 
shelters  that  were  to  be  our  homes  for  two  months.  We 
formed  a  part  of  the  line  of  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps, 
which  extended  from  Raines's  Bluff  to  the  Big  Black,  at  the 
railroad  crossing. 

Our  brief  Jackson  campaign  had  been  a  fatiguing  one, 
entailing  much  hardship  and  absolute  suffering  at  times, 
chiefly  because  of  the  terrible  heat  and  great  scarcity  of 
water.  Though  under  fire  five  days  our  loss  was  light.  The 
effective  force  of  the  regiment  at  this  date  was  three  hundred 
and  fourteen. 

CASUALTIES    OF    FIFTY-FIFTH    ILL.  VOL.   INFTY.,  AT 

JACKSON. 

FRANKLIN  L.  KIMBERK  of  Company  I,  shot  through  arm,  July  10. 
GEORGE  W.  BONE  of  Company  F,  mortally  wounded  on  picket,  July  14. 
PETER  ROBERTS,  second-lieutenant,  seriously  wounded  in  breast,  July  14. 

The  influence  of  the  then  dominant  policy  in  the  War  De 
partment  soon  began  to  be  felt.  The  matchless  army  that 
had  been  concentrated  at  such  trouble  and  cost,  directed  by 
one  man's  will,  had  struck  a  telling  blow,  paralyzing  rebellion 
throughout  Mississippi  and  shaking  the  Confederacy  to  the 
centre.  Yet  this  success  so  won,  would  without  doubt  have 
missed  its  grand  perfection  had  not  General  Grant's  head 
quarters  for  a  critical  week  or  two  been  in  the  saddle  beyond 
hearing  of  the  dictating  tick-tick  of  the  military  telegraph  at 
Washington.  Now,  instead  of  using  the  giant  energies  of 
this  army  to  deal  staggering  blows  in  rapid  succession  and  in 
the  same  direction,  it  was  speedily  dispersed  north  and  south, 
to  garrison  cities,  to  awe  guerillas,  to  guard  cotton  traders,  or 
to  aid  expeditions  of  minor  military  import  and  doubtful 
issue  west  of  the  Mississippi.  The  older  regiments  were 
already  mere  skeletons,  yet  no  new  muscle  was  added  to 
them,  either  by  voluntary  enlistments  or  conscription,  and 
political  managers  were  taxing  their  ingenuity  to  invent  plans 
for  reconstruction  before  the  retributive  destruction  of  war 
had  been  pushed  to  the  point  of  convincing  traitors  that  con- 


AT    CAMP    SHERMAN.  263 

ciliation  was  worth  suing  for,  or  even  desirable.  What  with 
the  stubbornness  of  Halleck,  the  subordination  of  military 
to  political  strategy,  and  the  plotting  and  counterplotting  of 
presidential  aspirants,  the  Confederacy  was  given  time  to 
perfect  a  sweeping  conscription,  tide  over  an  imminent  dan 
ger  and  prolong  the  war  a  year. 

Life  in  camp  on  the  Big  Black  had  the  usual  diversions 
and  employments.  Regular  company  and  regimental  drills 
were  ordered  from  six  to  eight  in  the  forenoon,  guard-mount 
and  weekly  inspections  were  renewed,  and  dress  parade  was 
held  at  six  in  the  afternoon.  Nearly  every  week  there  was  a 
review  or  brigade  drill  in  the  vicinity  of  General  Sherman's 
headquarters  and  under  his  supervision.  The  battalion  of 
the  Thirteenth  U.  S.  Infantry,  which  served  as  headquarters 
guard,  had  attached  to  it  a  superb  military  band,  which  added 
much  to  the  interest  of  these  occasions.  Most  of  the  officers 
by  turns  received  short  furloughs,  and  many  of  the  enlisted 
men  were  granted  leave  of  absence  as  a  reward  for  gallant 
services,  or  other  special  reasons.  The  chaplain  held  daily 
religious  exercises  in  camp,  which  aroused  much  interest,  and 
several  were  baptised. 

Of  course  a  general  court-martial,  the  inevitable  concom 
itant  of  the  close  of  a  campaign,  was  duly  convened.  From 
the  Fifty-fifth,  Captain  J.  M.  Augustine  was  detailed  as  a 
member  of  this  court,  and  it  was  resolved  by  some  that  the 
commander  of  the  regiment  should  appear  before  it  for  trial. 
Charges  were  preferred  against  the  colonel  in  due  form  and 
forwarded  to  the  brigade  commander,  General  J.  A.  J.  Light- 
burn.  By  him  they  were  detained,  and  finally  suppressed; 
probably,  he  would  have  alleged,  with  a  view  to  the  good  of 
the  service;  but  as  the  disappointed  complainants  rudely 
hinted,  because  "a  fellow  feeling  makes  one  wondrous  kind." 
Perhaps  no  document  among  the  many  regimental  and  com 
pany  papers  that  have  been  preserved  better  illustrates  and 
gives  excuse  for  certain  strained  relations  constantly  existing 
in  the  regiment,  which,  if  it  were  desirable,  it  is  impossible 
to  ignore  in  writing  its  history.  For  that  reason  alone  the 
suppressed  charges  are  reluctantly  reproduced  here  in  full, 
without  further  comment: 


264  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

CHARGES    AND    SPECIFICATIONS. 

CHARGE  I.    Violation  of  the  forty-fifth  article  of  war. 

Specification  i.  In  this,  that  the  said  Colonel  Oscar  Malmborg,  55th 
Regt.  111.  Vols.,  during  the  operations  against  the  enemy  at  Chickasaw 
Bayou,  Miss.,  Dec.  27,  28  and  29,  1862,  was  at  sundry  times  so  much  in 
toxicated  as  to  be  unfit  to  properly  perform  the  duties  of  his  position. 

Specification  2.  In  this,  that  the  said  Colonel  Oscar  Malmborg,  55th 
Regt.  Ill.Vols.,  during  the  expedition  to  the  American  Bend,  Miss.,  between 
the  dates  of  March  14  and  March  24,  1863,  was  at  sundry  times  too  much 
under  the  influence  of  intoxicating  liquors  to  properly  perform  the  duties 
of  his  position. 

CHARGE  II.    Conduct  unbecoming  an  officer  and  gentleman. 

Specification  i.  In  this,  that  the  said  Colonel  Oscar  Malmborg,  55th 
Regt.  111.  Vols.,  did,  while  on  the  transport  Fanny  Bullitt,  rebuke  Second- 
Lieutenant  William  C.  Porter  of  Company  E,  55th  Regt.  111.  Vols.,  then 
regimental  Officer  of  the  Day,  for  alleged  neglect  of  duty,  in  a  grossly 
insulting  and  profane  manner  — reproaching  him  in  so  loud  and  angry 
tones  as  to  awaken  officers  and  men  who  were  sleeping  on  the  boat. 
This  near  American  Bend,  Miss.,  on  or  about  the  night  of  the  thirteenth 
of  March,  1863. 

Specification  2.  In  this,  that  the  said  Colonel  Oscar  Malmborg,  55th 
Regt.  111.  Vols.,  did  unnecessarily  and  in  an  ungentlemanly  manner  re 
buke  Captain  N.  S.  Aagesen  of  Company  D,  55th  Regt.  111.  Vols., — then 
regimental  Officer  of  the  Day  ;  using  grossly  profane  and  insulting  lan 
guage  towards  him,  accompanied  with  threatening  gestures  ;  charging 
him  falsely  with  neglect  of  duty, —  and  "damned  impudence,"  when  he 
(Captain  Aagesen)  attempted  explanation.  All  this  on  board  the  steamer 
Fanny  Bullitt  at  American  Bend,  Miss.,  on  or  about  the  fourteenth  day  of 
March,  1863. 

Specification  j.  In  this,  that  the  said  Colonel  Oscar  Malmborg,  55th 
Regt.  111.  Vols.,  during  the  march  from  Grand  Gulf,  Miss.,  to  Raymond, 
Miss.,  while  the  regiment  was  in  bivouac,  did  curse  and  abuse  Private 
Michael  T.  Cox  of  Company  A,  55th  Regt.  111.  Vols.,  for  misunderstand 
ing  him  —  using  the  following  or  similar  language  :  "You  are  a  liar,  God 
damn  you.  I  have  a  mind  to  kill  you  right  on  this  spot."  This  on  or 
about  the  fifteenth  day  of  May,  1863. 

Specification  4.  In  this,  that  the  said  Colonel  Oscar  Malmborg,  55th 
Regt.  111.  Vols.,  while  riding  at  the  head  of  the  regiment  during  the 
march  from  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  to  Mechanicsburg,  Miss.,  did  break  out  in 
an  unusual  rage  against  the  men  and  officers  of  the  regiment,  because  of 
a  slight  disturbance  in  the  ranks  ;  calling  the  men  "  damned  rowdies," 
and  threatening  '  to  cut  in  the  face  with  his  sword  any  one  whom  he 
should  see  speaking ;'  and  upbraiding  in  loud  and  profane  language  the 
officers  of  the  regiment  —  using  these  or  equivalent  expressions:  "You 
are  a  set  of  damned  imbeciles,  unfit  to  command  a  squad  of  one  man,  and 
claim  to  be  officers !  Damned  fools,  that's  what  you  are."  This  on  or 
about  the  twenty-eighth  day  of  May,  1863. 


AT    AMSTERDAM    FORD.  265 

Specification  5.  In  this  that  the  said  Colonel  Oscar  Malmborg,  55th 
Regt.  111.  Vols.,  did  falsely  accuse  Assist.-Surgeon  J.  T.  Smith,  55th  Regt. 
111.  Vols.,  of  cowardice  and  neglect  of  duty,  and  did  otherwise  shamefully 
abuse  him,  in  the  presence  of  the  regiment  and  Battery  B,  Chicago  Light 
Artillery.  All  this  near  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  on  or  about  the  twenty-first 
day  of  May,  1863. 

Specification  6.  In  this,  that  the  said  Colonel  Oscar  Malmborg,  55th 
Regt.  111.  Vols.,  did  near  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  on  or  about  the  fourth  day  of 
July,  1863,  abuse  with  profane  and  insulting  language  Major  J.  J.  Heffer- 
nan  of  the  55th  Regt.  111.  Vols.,  in  the  presence  of  the  regiment,  using 
the  following  or  similar  language:  "Hold  your  tongue,  God  damn  you, 
or  I'll  blow  your  brains  out." 

CHARGE  III.  Conduct  prejudicial  to  good  order  and  military 
discipline. 

Specification  /.  In  this,  that  the  said  Colonel  Oscar  Malmborg,  55th 
Regt.  111.  Vols.,  in  violation  of  the  third  section  of  the  first  article  of  the 
Revised  Regulations,  habitually  injures  officers  and  men  under  him  by 
tyrannical  and  capricious  conduct  and  abusive  language. 

Specification  2.  In  this,  that  the  said  Colonel  Oscar  Malmborg,  55th 
Regt.  111.  Vols.,  does  habitually  reprimand  and  abuse  officers  for  real  or 
fancied  dereliction  of  duty,  in  the  presence  of  the  enlisted  men  of  their 
commands. 

Specification  j.  In  this,  that  the  said  Colonel  Oscar  Malmborg,  55th 
Regt.  111.  Vols.,  does  habitually  speak  derogatorily  of  the  abilities  and 
capabilities  of  the  officers,  in  the  presence  of  the  enlisted  men  of  their 
commands. 

J.  M.  AUGUSTINE, 
Witnesses :  Capt.,  5$th  Regt.  III.   Vol.  Inft. 

Lieut.-Col.  T.  C.  CHANDLER,  55th  Regt.  111.  Vols. 

Major  J.  J.  HEFFERNAN,  "  " 

Chaplain  M.  L.  HANEY,  "  " 

Adjutant  H.  S.  NOURSE, 

Asst.-Surgeon  J.  T.  SMITH,  "  " 

Captain  C.  M.  BROWNE,  "  " 

Captain  F.  H.  SHAW, 

Captain  H.  H.  KENDRICK,  "  " 

Lieut.  A.  A.  WHIPPLE,  "  " 

Lieut.  H.  AUGUSTINE,  "  " 

From  the  twelfth  to  the  nineteenth  of  August  the  regi 
ment  was  stationed  at  Amsterdam  Ford,  on  outpost  duty. 
The  irrepressible  craving  of  the  soldiers  for  fresh  vegetables, 
fruit  and  other  savory  additions  to  the  unvarying  army 
rations,  often  led  them  not  only  to  break  over  wholesome 
military  restrictions,  but  even  to  imperil  their  own  and  others' 
lives  and  liberty.  In  example  of  this,  a  sad  reminiscence 


266 


FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 


attaches  to  our  week's  sojourn  at  this  place.  The  neighbor 
hood  to  the  picket-posts  of  tilled  land,  orchards,  and  inhab 
ited  houses,  was  at  once  discovered,  and  soon  peaches  and 
sweet  potatoes  were  seen  in  the  haversacks  of  relieved  guards. 
On  August  I4th,  Calvin  A.  Songster  of  Company  G,  while 
foraging  on  his  own  account  south  of  the  river,  and  engaged 
in  animated  conversation  with  a  girl  in  the  yard  of  a  dwelling, 
was  surprised  by  two  mounted  men  armed  with  double-bar 
reled  guns,  who  dashed  up  and  ordered  him  to  surrender. 
Looking  into  the  four  grim  muzzles  pointed  at  his  head  he 
saw  no  chance  of  escape  from  captivity.  It  happened,  how 
ever,  that  a  comrade  belonging  to  Company  K,  by  name  John 
Greene,  was  in  the  house,  the  old  lady  whose  home  it  was 
having  agreed  to  give  him  some  milk.  Greene  rushed  out, 
raised  his  gun,  and  aiming  at  the  rebel  cavalry  men,  shouted, 
"Surrender!"  The  old  lady  followed  him,  and  standing  at 
his  side  kept  crying  excitedly  to  both,  "O  don't  fight  here!" 
But  one  of  the  Confederates  discharged  both  barrels  of  his 
gun  at  Greene,  who,  firing  his  own  gun  ineffectually  as  he 
fell,  dropped  face  downward  at  the  feet  of  the  woman,  ejac 
ulating,  "My  Jesus,  what  will  my  poor  family  do!"  The 
horsemen  immediately  wheeled  and  fled,  leaving  Greene 
dying  and  Songster  free.  A  party,  at  shouts  of  the  latter  for 
aid,  crossing  the  stream  found  that  Greene  was  dead,  and 
that  two  men  of  Company  A  —  Edgar  J.  Porter  and  Joseph 
H.  White  —  had  been  captured  in  the  peach  orchard  near  by 
at  the  same  time.  These  men  were  conveyed  from  one  prison 
to  another — Mobile,  Atlanta,  Columbia,  Raleigh  —  through 
the  breadth  of  the  Confederacy  to  Libby  Prison,  Richmond. 
There  Porter  safely  delivered  to  Colonel  Streight  a  letter 
which  had  been  entrusted  to  him  by  General  Neal  Dow,  at 
Mobile.  The  winter  of  1863  was  spent  by  them  at  Belle  Isle, 
where  they  met  Jesse  Gould,  another  soldier  of  the  Fifty- 
fifth.  Gould  had  also  been  captured  during  August,  while 
upon  a  foraging  expedition,  being  on  detached  service  in  the 
division  train.  He  died  at  Belle  Isle.  Porter  and  White 
were  paroled  thence  March  2ist,  1864,  and  after  being  duly 
exchanged  and  recruited  from  their  half-starved  condition, 


GENERAL    SHERMAN'S    NAMESAKE.  267 

rejoined  the  regiment  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  Atlanta 
campaign. 

While  in  Camp  Sherman  one  of  Company  F's  patriots 
received  notice  that  a  son  had  been  born  to  him  at  his  home 
in  Illinois,  and  wanted  a  name.  He  immediately  wrote  to 
his  wife  to  call  the  boy  William  Tecumseh  Sherman,  and  at 
the  same  time  wrote  General  Sherman,  informing  him  that  he 
had  a  promising  namesake.  The  next  day  an  orderly  ap 
peared  with  commands  for  S.  F ,  private  Fifty-fifth  111. 

Vols.,  to  report  forthwith  at  army  headquarters.  The 
soldier  with  some  trepidation  obeyed  the  summons,  saluted 
and  awaited  the  general's  pleasure.  Sundry  of  the  staff 
and  other  officers  were  present,  and  their  faces  wore  an  air 
of  having  enjoyed  some  joke,  and  of  anticipating  more 
amusement.  "Well,"  said  the  general,  "I  see  by  your  letter, 

Mr.  F ,  that  your  wife  has  presented  you  with  a  fine  boy, 

and  that  you  have  done  me  the  honor  to  name  him  for  me. 
How  long  have  you  been  in  the  service?"  "Two  years,  gen 
eral,"  was  the  respectful  reply.  "  Have  you  ever  had  a  fur 
lough?"  Now  it  would  have  been  strange  if  this  question 
did  not  make  the  heart  of  the  husband  and  father  leap  with 
hope  of  soon  greeting  his  dear  ones  face  to  face.  His  gen 
eral  was  surely  proposing  to  allow  him  brief  leave  of  absence 
for  this  purpose,  reflected  the  soldier,  as  he  feelingly  replied: 
"No,  general;  I've  never  been  absent  from  the  regiment  a 
day."  "Been  two  years  in  the  service,  and  never  had  a  fur 
lough —  and  your  wife  has  a  bouncing  boy!  Why,  really, 

F ,  I  don't  understand  this."  The  officers  winked  slily  at 

each  other,  enjoying  the  culmination  of  the  strategy.  The 
soldier's  hopes  sank;  but  his  cheeks  flushed,  and  his  answer 
was  prompt:  "General,  my  wife  last  autumn  made  me  a  three 
weeks'  visit  when  we  were  at  Memphis."  Amid  the  laughter 
of  all  present,  General  Sherman  owned  himself  for  once  out 
flanked,  and  told  the  father  that  when  the  boy  should  be  ten 
years  old  he  would  gladly  send  him  something  to  remember 
for  whom  he  received  his  name.  The  boy  did  not  live  to  see 
a  tenth  birthday. 

The  regiment  had  already  lost  from  its  rolls  by  the  various 
casualties  of  war,  more  than  half  of  its  complement.  The 


268  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

monthly  return  for  August  showed  the  following  aggregates  : 

—  —  •.::"     * 


313 

Present  and  absent..  |  Commissioned  ................. 


493 


The  malarious  climate  asserted  itself  in  due  time,  and  the 
surgeon's  stock  of  quinine  was  all  insufficient  for  the  legiti 
mate  calls  made  for  it.  A  few  cases  of  typhoid  fever  proved 
fatal.  Men  who  had  bravely  dared  and  safely  passed  through 
the  perils  of  battle,  assault  and  siege  —  men  with  sun- 
embrowned  faces  and  vigorous  frames,  whose  muscles  had 
become  hardened  with  marching,  drill  and  toil  until  they 
were  as  tough  and  elastic  as  steel,  sickened  and  were  borne 
to  their  graves  within  a  few  days.  No  list  of  those  who  died 
while  the  regiment  was  upon  the  Big  Black  can  be  made  with 
accuracy  now;  but  among  the  worthy  and  brave  who  surren 
dered  to  disease  then,  or  from  malarial  poison  shortly  after 
we  had  removed  thence,  a  few  may  be  fitly  named,  even 
though  others  equally  deserving  remembrance,  perhaps,  may 
be  omitted.  Sergeants  Henry  Lenhart  and  Charles  Rock- 
hold,  victims  of  fever  at  Camp  Sherman,  Christian  patriots 
both,  were  men  whose  gallantry  in  action  and  sterling  quali 
ties  of  mind  and  heart,  endeared  them  to  their  comrades. 
George  W.  Eckley's  death  was  probably  directly  chargeable 
to  his  becoming  overheated  on  the  arduous  march  from  Jack 
son.  He  was  a  beloved  comrade,  true,  intrepid  and  capable. 
William  Snapp,  a  fearless  soldier  of  fine  personal  presence, 
Edward  M.  Bruner,  an  upright  and  manly  patriot,  and  Leslie 
Gaylord,  an  unexceptionable  soldier,  found  graves  at  Camp 
Sherman.  Sergeant  Samuel  Kellogg  and  Franklin  Peacar 
died  of  malarial  disease,  the  former  at  Camp  Sherman  in 
July,  the  latter  at  Memphis  in  October;  both  were  highly 
esteemed  as  men  and  soldiers. 

Captain  John  T.  McAuley  was  detached  from  the  regiment 
for  staff  duty  with  Brigadier-General  Giles  A.  Smith.  Being 
subsequently  appointed  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant-General 
of  the  First  brigade,  he  did  not  again  serve  with  his  company 
during  the  war. 


MARCHING    ORDERS.  269 

Henry  W.  Janes,  the  first  quartermaster  of  the  Fifty-fifth, 
was  discharged  August  loth,  1863,  to  accept  appointment  as 
captain  and  assistant-quartermaster  of  volunteers.  Thaddeus 
H.  Capron,  who  as  quartermaster-sergeant  and  second-lieu 
tenant  had  for  nearly  a  year  performed  the  chief  duties  of 
the  office,  was  commissioned  to  fill  the  vacancy.  Captain 
Janes  was  brevetted  major  and  lieutenant-colonel,  March  16, 
1865,  "for  faithful  and  meritorious  service  during  the  war." 
He  remained  on  duty  in  the  quartermaster's  department  as 
captain  and  assistant-quartermaster,  was  promoted  to  major, 
June  19,  1879,  and  was  retired  July  2,  1879,  "for  incapacity 
resulting  from  long  and  faithful  service,"  in  conformity  with 
section  1251  of  Revised  Statutes.  He  died  at  Poughkeepsie, 
N.  Y.,  February  16,  1883. 

On  the  first  day  of  September,  Major  Tilden  paid  the  reg 
iment,  and  a  few  days  later,  recognizing  the  commercial 
opportunity,  a  sutler  arrived  with  the  usual  miscellaneous 
assortment  of  goods,  in  the  interest  of  Shreves  and  Andrews 
of  Fulton  county,  Illinois.  September  I4th  the  regiment 
went  across  the  Big  Black  upon  a  foraging  expedition,  but 
met  with  no  noteworthy  adventures,  and  because  of  the  in 
tense  heat  of  the  day  failed  to  find  this  picnic-to-order  par 
ticularly  enjoyable.  September  I9th  Governor  Yates  visited 
the  camp  and  was  received  with  the  honors  due  to  his  high 
station.  On  the  twenty-second,  in  the  afternoon,  our  summer 
quarters  were  abandoned,  and  we  moved  to  the  railroad 
bridge  over  the  Big  Black  to  take  the  place  of  some  troops 
of  General  Osterhaus's  division,  which  had  been  ordered  up 
the  Mississippi.  Here  we  laid  out  a  new  camp  in  an  open 
field  near  the  railroad.  Not  far  away  was  an  extensive  en 
campment  of  colored  refugees,  wards  of  the  government. 
Of  this  motley  aggregation  of  dusky  humanity,  just  emergent 
from  the  condition  of  marketable  chattels,  Captain  Shaw 
was  made  provost-marshal  —  an  honor  he  evidently  did  not 
crave,  but  bore  with  his  customary  quiet  dignity.  On  the 
twenty-fifth  again  marching  orders  came,  and  two  days  later 
the  regiment  moved  to  Vicksburg,  fifteen  miles  distant,  with 
all  its  camp  property. 

This  march  was  through  a  doubly-desolated  land.     Every 


270  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

corn  and  cotton  field  was  smothered  with  rank  weeds;  houses 
were  windowless  and  chimneys  often  houseless,  where  but 
five  months  before  rich  planters  led  easy  lives  of  luxury,  the 
envied  of  the  land.  Now  the  proud  wives  and  daughters  of 
these  men,  little  better  clad  than  their  former  slaves,  were 
perhaps  fain  to  receive  their  daily  bread,  doled  out  by  an 
U.  S.  commissary. 

Arriving  at  the  steamboat  landing,  we  found  the  Ohio 
Belle  assigned  to  the  regiment  and  began  embarkation.  We 
learned  that  our  division,  then  under  command  of  Brigadier- 
General  Giles  A.  Smith,  together  with  the  Fourth  Division, 
under  Brigadier-General  Corse,  were  ordered  to  re-enforce 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  which  General  Bragg,  having 
driven  with  a  superior  force  from  Chickamauga,  had  caged 
in  Chattanooga,  and  was  now  taming  by  a  process  of  slow 
starvation.  The  next  day  was  spent  in  loading  the  fleet  and 
making  a  tour  of  the  city,  which  most  of  the  regiment  had 
never  before  seen  save  from  the  swamp  camps  at  Young's 
Point.  The  old  bastions,  rifle-pits  and  siege  works  had  all 
been  leveled,  and  a  much  shorter  interior  line  of  forts  was 
in  process  of  construction,  suitable  for  the  occupation  of  a 
small  garrison.  Rank  vegetation  had  already  concealed 
many  of  the  wounds  of  the  siege  in  the  rear  of  the  city; 
but  the  graves  in  the  "Valley  of  Death,"  the  shattered  roofs 
in  the  town,  the  countless  little  caves  in  the  slopes  of  the 
hills,  and  the  heaps  of  rubbish  and  unsightly  debris  of 
abandoned  camps,  were  eloquent  of  the  bloody;  work  of 
May  and  June. 

Twenty-five  years  have  run  away  since  the  stirring  events 
occurred  which  the  pen  has  tried  to  faintly  outline  in  this 
and  the  preceding  chapter.  The  veteran  revisiting  Vicks- 
burg,  however  familiar  he  may  have  been  with  localities,  will 
vainly  strive  to  recognize  many  of  them  in  the  changed  face 
of  nature.  The  city  itself  stands  upon  its  hundred  hills  as 
of  old;  but  it  is  another  city  than  that  so  obstinately 
defended  by  Pemberton's  army.  The  Mississippi  no  longer 
rolls  a  turbid  current  at  its  feet;  only  a  sleepy  bayou  stag 
nates  in  the  old  channel,  and  commerce  has  retreated  for  its 
landing  three  miles  to  the  south.  Young's  Point  is  unrecog- 


THE    UNKNOWN    DEAD.  271 

nizable;  the  region  about  Chickasaw  Bayou  is  a  tangled 
wilderness;  the  nobly  wooded  hills  have  been  long  robbed 
of  their  timber,  and  the  Graveyard  Road  is  no  thoroughfare. 
Upon  the  bluff  just  above  the  city,  where  the  right  of  the 
Fifteenth  Corps  rested  on  the  river,  is  the  beautiful  National 
Cemetery.  Among  its  army  of  the  great  majority,  these  five 
only  of  nearly  forty  belonging  to  the  Fifty-fifth,  who  laid 
down  their  lives  for  their  country  in  the  region  round  about, 
have  memorials  inscribed  with  their  names;  and  but  one  of 
these  fell  before  the  bastions  of  Vicksburg. 

LEVI  T.  HILL,  Co.  A.  Sergt.  KELLOGG,  Co.  E.  GEORGE  W.  BONE,  Co.  F. 
H.  LENHART,  Co.  A.  J.  LIGHTFOOT,  Co.  E. 

The  many  others  lie  among  the  "unknown"  or  sleep  in 
forgotten  graves.  No,  not  forgotten;  even  though  undis 
tinguished  by  verbose  epitaph  or  pretentious  marble.  Their 
patriot  blood  was  not  shed  in  vain.  Their  lives  offered  in 
willing  sacrifice,  and  the  lives  of  such  as  they,  are  the  conse 
crated  foundation  of  the  nation  regenerate — the  very  corner 
stone  of  the  new  republic.  For  it  was  the  self-sacrificing 
manhood  of  the  rank  and  file,  borne  upon  the  resistless  tide 
of  national  feeling,  that  in  spite  of  narrow  politics,  vacilla 
ting  strategy  and  sanguinary  generalship,  overwhelmed  the 
desperate  rebellion.  The  true  heroes  of  the  war  were  not 
those  whose  eulogies  were  loudest  proclaimed,  nor  those  at 
the  passing  of  whose  catafalques  city  streets  were  draped  in 
black;  but  the  humble  volunteers  of  the  ranks,  in  whose 
souls  the  flame  of  patriotism  burned  bright  and  pure,  without 
taint  of  ambitious  self-seeking;  who,  albeit  hopeless  of  reap 
ing  renown  or  rising  to  exalted  place,  and  always  facing  the 
probability  that  the  last  of  earth  to  them  would  be  a  name 
less  grave,  yet  abandoned  ease,  possessions,  home,  youthful 
aspirations,  love,  to  protect  for  posterity  the  constitution 
which  our  fathers  had  built  at  great  cost. 

"These  died  that  we  might  claim  a  soil  unstained 
Save  by  the  blood  of  heroes;  their  bequests, 
A  realm  unsevered  and  a  race  unchained. 
Has  purer  blood  through  Norman  veins  come  down 
From  the  rough  knights  that  clutched  the  Saxon  crown, 
Than  warmed  the  pulses  in  these  faithful  breasts  ?" 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    CHATTANOOGA   AND    KNOXVILLE    CAMPAIGNS. 

OEPTEMBER  29th,  bidding  a  glad  good-bye  to  Vicksburg, 
O  we  began  the  journey  up  the  Mississippi,  from  frequent 
repetition  familiarly  irksome  to  us  all.  That  night  and  the 
next  day  the  boat  halted  at  Greenville,  while  a  supply  of 
wood  was  collected  in  the  rain.  The  consumption  of  fuel 
had  been  so  enormous  everywhere  along  the  river,  and  the 
interruption  of  the  wood-chopper's  industry  so  general,  that 
it  had  become  necessary  to  haul  fence-rails  or  other  fuel 
from  some  distance  to  the  shore,  for  the  use  of  transports. 
This  labor  frequently  consumed  as  much  time  as  the  real 
journey.  Our  advance  was  but  slow,  partly  on  this  account 
ond  partly  because  of  the  very  low  stage  of  the  river. 
Reaching  Helena  on  the  night  of  the  second  of  October,  we 
halted  to  secure  a  supply  of  coal.  Continuing  on  our  way 
the  next  morning,  the  boat  struck  hard  and  fast  upon  a  sand 
bar  about  twelve  miles  below  Memphis,  and  we  worked 
ineffectually  hour  after  hour  to  get  released  from  it,  until  the 
steamboat  Metropolitan  came  to  our  assistance,  and  pulled 
us  off  in  time  to  reach  Memphis  after  dark  on  the  fourth. 
In  the  morning  the  regiment  marched  out  to  the  site  of  its 
camp  of  1862,  near  the  fair  grounds,  and  set  up  tents.  Two 
days  were  now  given  us  wherein  to  rest  and  renew  our  ac 
quaintance  with  the  city.  We  found  a  year  had  changed 
Memphis  from  a  half-deserted  town  in  which  the  spirit  of 
rebellion  was  insolently  rampant,  to  a  busy,  prosperous  mart 


PURSUING    CAVALRY.  273 

where  Northern  capital  and  Northern  men  throve  apace  in 
trade,  although  it  must  be  confessed  not  always  by  purely 
patriotic  or  wholly  honorable  methods.  The  over-anxiety  of 
the  government  to  relieve  the  cotton  market  had  opened  the 
way  to  much  illegitimate  commerce,  and  "the  Israelites 
spoiled  the  Egyptians"  without  much  consideration  for  Mo 
saic  or  the  United  States  laws. 

On  the  eighth  we  began  our  long  eastward  journey. 
Marching  from  camp  at  break  of  day,  the  regiment  found  at 
the  station  a  long  train  of  box-cars  loaded  with  army  stores. 
Mounting  upon  the  tops  of  these  at  ten  in  the  forenoon,  we 
left  Memphis,  the  paradise  of  Jew  sutler  and  Gentile  siren, 
behind  us.  Our  first  day's  travel,  however,  was  brief,  ending 
at  Moscow  because  of  a  break  in  the  track  beyond.  The 
rebel  cavalry,  well  led,  active  and  bold,  were  scouring  the 
whole  region  bordering  the  railroad  between  Memphis  and 
Tuscumbia;  the  population  left  in  this  territory  was  for  the 
most  part  bitterly  hostile,  and  the  problem  of  keeping  over 
one  hundred  miles  of  track  in  good  working  order  was  a 
serious  one  indeed.  Not  only  had  every  bridge  and  culvert 
to  be  carefully  watched  and  protected,  but  single  rails  were 
often  removed  at  night  and  concealed.  Trains  were  there-' 
fore  compelled  to  utilize  daylight  only,  and  to  run  slowly  at 
that.  By  a  singular  accident  the  regiment  temporarily  lost 
its  colors  during  this  trip.  The  flag,  carelessly  displayed  on 
the  top  of  the  car,  got  caught  in  an  overhanging  telegraph 
wire,  and  was  torn  from  the  color-bearer's  grasp.  Fortu 
nately  it  was  recovered  and  forwarded  to  us  the  next  morning. 
We  proceeded  on  the  train  to  LaGrange  during  the  afternoon 
of  the  ninth,  and  went  into  bivouac  about  a  mile  beyond  the 
village,  where  we  remained  until  Sunday,  the  eleventh. 

On  the  morning  of  that  day  we  were  temporarily  attached 
to  General  Sweeny's  command  of  the  Sixteenth  Corps,  and 
set  out  in  pursuit  of  a  force  of  rebel  cavalry  reported  to  be 
a  day's  journey  south.  We  marched  until  dusk,  when  news 
came  of  General  Chalmers'  assault  upon  Colliersville,  where 
he  nearly  captured  General  Sherman  and  staff,  and  we  hur 
riedly  marched  back  six  miles  and  went  into  bivouac.  Octo 
ber  1 2th,  being  about  eighteen  miles  from  the  railroad,  we 
18 


274  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

learned  of  Chalmers'  defeat,  and  turned  south  towards  Holly 
Springs,  marching  until  about  noon,  whence  halted  at  Hud- 
sonville.  The  next  day  we  made  a  reconnoissance  south  for 
about  eight  miles,  returning  to  Hudsonville  for  the  night. 
October  I4th  we  proceeded  through  Holly  Springs  and  about 
ten  miles  beyond.  A  year  before  we  had  visited  this  locality 
for  the  first  time,  and  remembered  it  as  a  beautiful  town,  with 
numerous  tasteful  residences,  evidently  the  abode  of  cultured 
and  wealthy  people;  while  the  region  round  about  abounded 
in  signs  of  prosperity.  Now  the  whole  face  of  nature  seemed 
changed.  The  place  was  a  slovenly  ruin,  and  the  fenceless 
fields  far  and  wide  were  barren  wastes.  On  the  fifteenth  and 
sixteenth  we  turned  through  Chulahoma,  and  by  way  of 
Byhalia  marched  to  Colliersville.  The  next  day  we  mounted 
a  train  for  Corinth,  and  on  the  eighteenth  reached  luka. 
Here  the  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  First  brigade,  com 
manded  by  General  Giles  A.  Smith,  a  change  altogether 
agreeable  to  us.  Here,  too,  we  received  Springfield  muskets 
in  exchange  for  our  heavy  but  trusty  Dresden  rifles. 

The  regiment  was  detailed  to  unload  the  stores  from  the 
cars  upon  the  army  train.  A  car  was  discovered  partly  filled 
"with  sutler's  goods,  which  the  owner  had  managed  to  smug 
gle  along  in  direct  contravention  of  General  Sherman's 
orders.  As  this  stock  in  trade  had  no  place  in  the  military 
trains,  the  boys  in  unloading  began  to  distribute  it  where 
they  thought  it  would  do  the  most  good.  While  the  sutler 
was  profanely  remonstrating  and  trying  to  secure  his  property, 
General  Sherman  chanced  along,  and  to  him  the  angry  man 
appealed  for  help.  He  received  a  characteristic  response: 
"  Neither  you  nor  your  goods  have  any  rights  here.  My  or 
ders  were  that  only  army  stores  should  be  shipped  in  these 
cars.  You  have  stolen  transportation  belonging  to  these 
men,  while  they  have  had  to  make  a  forced  march.  You  are 
served  just  right."  The  general  rode  off,  while  the  welkin 
rang  with  cheers,  and  the  crest-fallen  sutler  retired  to  figure 
up  his  profit  and  loss  account,  and  make  out  his  claim  upon 
government. 

Our  six-days'  scout  in  pursuit  of  cavalry,  from  the  fatigue 
and  constant  exposure   in  a  malarial  region,  had  caused  an 


CHEROKEE    STATION.  275 

alarming  amount  of  intermittent  fever  among  the  men.  The 
daily  cases  of  "chills"  were  counted  by  the  score,  and  several 
seriously  ill  were  left  behind  at  luka.  Among  these  were 
Captains  Shaw  and  Brink.  The  former  recovered,  and  joined 
us  after  three  months  of  fever  and  slow  convalescence;  the 
latter  died  there,  October  3ist.  Even  among  the  stalwart 
groups  of  soldiers  in  the  Fifty-fifth,  Vincent  E.  Brink  was  a 
striking  figure,  and  his  upright,  vigorous  physique,  was  fitly 
matched  by  moral  worth  and  noble  qualities  of  heart.  Be 
fore  he  received  his  first  commission  he  bore  the  colors  of 
the  regiment. 

On  the  twentieth  we  marched  as  rear  guard  behind  the 
division  train  sixteen  miles  to  Cherokee  Station,  just  across 
the  Alabama  line,  reaching  it  after  ten  o'clock  at  night.  In 
advance  we  found  the  troops  of  Generals  Osterhaus  and  John 
E.  Smith  encamped.  At  this  station  Francis  P.  Fisher  re 
ceived  his  commission  as  first-lieutenant  and  adjutant,  was 
mustered  in  and  entered  upon  the  multifarious  duties  of  that 
difficult  and  responsible  position,  for  which  he  had  peculiar 
qualifications  by  reason  of  his  superior  education  and  busi 
ness  experience.  October  2ist  opened  with  rain  and  fog, 
and  a  proposed  advance  was  delayed  until  eight  o'clock. 
Soon  after  that  hour  General  Osterhaus  moving  forward  en 
countered  the  Confederate  forces  under  General  S.  D.  Lee. 
The  rebel  cavalry  appeared  clad  in  blue  overcoats  and  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  near  enough  unsuspected  to  make  a  fierce 
charge  upon  the  van,  causing  some  confusion  and  heavy  loss 
in  one  or  two  regiments.  A  sharp  fight  lasting  an  hour  en 
sued.  Here  were  brought  prominently  into  view  at  the  rear, 
where  we  lay  in  reserve,  the  pitiful  sights  and  sounds  of  the 
field-hospital: — the  operating-table  never  long  without  its 
pallid  occupant; — the  sufferings  that  could  find  no  alleviation 
until  the  death  agony  ended  them; — the  surgeons  with  hands 
and  arms  stained  with  gore,  looking  like  so  many  butchers. 
Horrors  that  in  the  rage  of  the  battle's  front  pass  almost 
unpitied,  at  the  improvised  camp  of  the  medical  corps  in  the 
rear  are  too  distressing  for  the  most  hardened  to  look  upon 
unmoved.  The  enemy  soon  gave  way,  but  the  onward  move 
ment  was  at  an  end  for  that  day. 


276  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

We  remained  at  the  railroad  station  until  the  twenty-sixth, 
when  General  Blair,  who  was  in  command  of  the  three  divis 
ions  present,  ordered  an  advance.  Our  brigade  started  at  five 
in  the  morning  and  formed  the  right  flank  of  the  battle-line. 
The  enemy  were  found  in  force  near  at  hand  and  resisted 
with  artillery,  but  were  slowly  pressed  back  until  late  in  the 
afternoon  when  they  made  a  determined  stand  behind  Little 
Bear  Creek,  about  five  miles  west  of  Tuscumbia,  holding  a 
strong  position,  and  we  went  into  bivouac  for  the  night  con 
fronting  them.  The  next  morning  our  brigade,  with  that  of 
General  Lightburn,  were  pushed  out  upon  the  left  flank  of 
the  Confederates  who  retired  precipitately  after  a  short  skir 
mish,  a  few  well-aimed  shots  from  our  twenty-pounder  rifled 
Parrotts  adding  to  the  hot  haste  of  their  departure.  The 
country  we  were  entering  is  pleasantly  diversified  by  rounded 
hills,  well  wooded  and  watered,  fertile  and  altogether  attract 
ive.  Its  farms  and  villages  had  a  home-like  look,  suggestive 
of  peaceful  prosperity,  pastoral  and  slumbrous.  About  noon 
we  marched  into  Tuscumbia  to  find  it  nearly  deserted,  its 
numerous  stores  stripped  of  goods,  its  hotels  inhospitably 
closed,  and  its  neat  white  residences  left  in  charge  of  a  few 
women  and  boys  or  decrepid  old  men,  who  with  sullen  stolid 
ity  watched  our  entrance.  On  the  twenty-eighth  we  moved 
back  to  the  Chickasaw  bottoms  about  sixteen  miles,  when  we 
learned  that  General  Sherman  had  resolved  to  cease  further 
attempts  to  repair  and  use  the  railroad,  and  had  determined 
upon  a  forced  march  on  the  north  side  of  the  Tennessee 
River. 

October  twenty-ninth  early  in  the  morning  the  long  roll 
summoned  the  troops  into  line  and  we  were  marched,  out 
from  our  camps  about  Cherokee  Station  two  or  three  miles, 
to  find  that  the  rebel  cavalry  had  made  a  dash  upon  the  out 
posts,  probably  to  ascertain  the  Union  position.  On  the 
thirtieth  we  set  out  in  a  pouring  rain  with  the  army  train  for 
Chickasaw  Landing,  fifteen  miles  distant,  but  the  mules 
floundered  about  in  the  deep  mire  of  the  country  roads,  the 
wagons  frequently  stuck  fast  and  had  to  be  pried  and  lifted 
out  of  the  sloughs,  so  that  we  did  not  reach  the  river  bank 
until  nine  o'clock  at  night  of  the  thirty-first.  There  we  re- 


A    FORCED    MARCH.  277 

mained  in  such  shelter  as  we  could  set  up  until  November 
2d,  when  we  were  conveyed  by  the  Masonic  Gem,  used  as  a 
ferry-boat,  across  the  Tennessee,  and  marched  eight  miles 
eastward  to  Gravelly  Springs.  The  next  day  we  proceeded 
seventeen  miles,  passing  through  Cypress  Mills  and  Florence, 
and  halting  for  the  night  within  a  mile  of  the  last-named 
place.  On  the  fourth,  by  a  sixteen  mile  march,  we  reached 
Blue  Water  Creek,  the  way  lying  through  the  rich  valley 
lands  whose  residents  were  bitter  Secessionists  and  made 
little  secret  of  the  fact.  November  5th  we  advanced  fifteen 
miles  to  Anderson  Creek,  a  persistent  drizzle  adding  discom 
fort  and  difficulties  to  the  miry  roadways. 

The  Elk  River,  which  the  van  of  the  army  encountered 
near  Rogersville,  was  found  only  passable  by  ferry,  and  to 
avoid  delay  the  column  was  turned  to  the  north  in  search  of 
a  bridge.  We  took  up  the  line  of  march  regularly  at  half- 
past  seven  each  morning,  halted  about  noon  for  an  hour  or 
less  wherever  we  chanced  to  be,  and  bivouacked  near  some 
crystal  stream  when  the  day's  journey  ended.  Often  when 
the  roads  were  heavy  and  the  way  grew  long — when  weary 
feet  began  to  drag  and  sorely  tried  spirits  lost  their  elasticity 
—  when  the  usual  merry  chat,  banter,  quip  and  laughter  died 
away,  and  morose  silence  brooded  over  the  marching  column 
—  then  Fred  Ebersold  or  Dorsey  Andress  would  strike  up 
"Tobias  and  Tobunkus,"  "Doctor  Eisenbarth,"  or  other  jolly 
catch — German  or  English,  it  was  all  one  to  them  —  and  the 
jovial  singers  of  Company  I  would  chime  in  with  the  chorus. 
Or  the  chaplain,  with  full,  melodious  voice,  would  start  some 
familiar  hymn,  and  Companies  A  and  F,  with  others  here  and 
there,  would  join  until  the  echoes  woke  among  all  the  hills 
and  woods  around.  And  if  thus  hunger  and  thirst,  cold  and 
fatigue  were  not  wholly  charmed  away,  at  least  every  heart 
and  every  step  grew  lighter,  and  the  slow  miles  were  more 
easily  put  behind  us. 

November  6th  we  marched  fifteen  miles  in  spite  of  a  heavy 
rain,  reaching  Little  Shoal  Creek.  The  Fifty-fifth,  sent  out 
on  picket  upon  a  steep  hillside,  made  an  important  capture 
of  fifty  or  more  rebellious  pigs,  after  a  brief  but  spirited  skir 
mish.  This  fresh  meat  acceptably  eked  out  the  half  rations 


278  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

of  hard-bread.  On  the  seventh  an  advance  of  sixteen  miles 
was  made,  the  noon  lunch  and  siesta  being  taken  at  Pulaski. 
On  the  eighth,  sixteen  miles  more  of  our  long  journey  were 
counted  as  passed,  our  course  being  directly  east  through 
Bradshaw,  and  our  night's  camp  upon  a  rocky  ridge.  The 
next  day  we  made  but  nine  miles,  crossing  Buchanan's  Creek 
about  noon.  The  following  day,  passing  through  Fayette- 
ville,  we  crossed  the  Elk  River  upon  a  fine  stone  bridge  of 
six  arches,  and  thence  marched  about  five  miles,  bending  our 
steps  south  again,  although  the  direct  route  to  our  destina 
tion  lay  to  the  east  through  Decherd.  This  circuitous  course, 
was  taken  to  avoid  the  mountainous  roads  and  to  strike  a  re 
gion  more  likely  to  furnish  forage  for  the  animals.  The  two 
other  divisions  followed  the  railway  line  to  the  eastward. 
November  nth  our  road  lay  through  damp  woodlands,  then 
sombre-hued  and  depressing,  for  the  glowing  crimsons  and 
purples  which  lately  clothed  the  trees  had  mostly  fluttered 
down  and  been  woven  by  wind  and  rain  into  a  russet-brown 
carpet  beneath,  already  becoming  mildewed  and  redolent  of 
decay.  The  bridges  were  numerous  and  often  insufficient  for 
the  safe  passage  of  artillery,  requiring  to  be  repaired  or 
strengthened,  and  causing  vexatious  delays;  but  we  made 
fifteen  miles.  During  the  twelfth  we  made  better  progress, 
covering  eighteen  miles.  About  three  in  the  afternoon  we 
crossed  the  Alabama  line,  and  our  camp  that  night  was  south 
of  Newmarket.  The  next  day  we  increased  our  advance  to 
twenty  miles,  reaching  Paint  Rock  on  the  Memphis  and 
Charleston  railway. 

We  were  among  the  picturesque  foot-hills  of  the  Cumber 
land  range  —  a  veritable  wilderness  of  unspoiled  nature;  but 
soldiers  with  blistering  feet  are  rarely  inspired  with  any  sen 
timental  glamour  about  their  pathway,  however  romantic; 
and  empty  stomachs  joined  with  weariness  of  body  are  not 
conducive  to  enthusiastic  appreciation  of  impressive  scenery. 
The  rations  had  become  wofully  deficient,  and  the  incessant 
toil  of  the  march  began  to  wear  upon  men  and  animals.  The 
route  here  turned  to  the  eastward  again.  We  had  made  a 
detour  of  over  one  hundred  miles  to  reach  a  point  but  fifty 
miles  away  by  the  direct  road,  because  of  the  unbridged  Elk 


A    FORCED    MARCH.  279 

River.  Following  the  railway,  we  marched  on  the  fourteenth 
to  Larkinsville,  sixteen  miles  distant,  and  encamped  near  a 
considerable  stream  that  comes  to  the  light  of  day  only  to 
disappear,  a  "Lost  Creek"  forever,  passing  within  a  few  hun 
dred  yards  into  subterranean  concealment.  Sunday,  the 
fifteenth,  we  reached  Bellefonte,  an  advance  of  fifteen  miles. 
We  moved  on  to  Stevenson,  a  village  of  sutlers,  at  the  junc 
tion  of  the  Nashville  and  Charleston  railroads,  through 
swampy  woodlands,  on  the  sixteenth,  a  distance  of  sixteen 
miles,  and  thence  to  Bridgeport,  ten  miles,  on  the  seven 
teenth. 

At  this  point,  where  the  Charleston  railway  crosses  the 
Tennessee,  was  the  secondary  base  of  supplies  for  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland.  Here  the  military  stores,  after  a  journey 
of  five  hundred  miles  over  a  single  line  of  railroad,  had  to  be 
transferred  to  wagons  and  hauled  by  mules  over  a  wretched 
round-about  mountain  road,  sixty  miles  to  Chattanooga.  As 
the  path  in  some  places  lay  beside  the  river,  the  south  bank 
of  which  was  occupied  by  the  rebels,  sharp-shooters  con 
stantly  annoyed,  and  even  interrupted,  this  difficult  transpor 
tation.  Thousands  of  dead  animals  and  broken  wagons  lay 
along  the  roadside,  and  with  all  diligence  possible  not  more 
than  half-rations  for  the  men  could  be  conveyed  in  this  way. 
The  artillery  horses  perished  for  want  of  food,  or  became  too 
weak  to » move  the  guns.  October  23d  the  reticent,  iron- 
jawed  conqueror  of  Vicksburg  had  entered  Chattanooga  upon 
crutches.  In  a  week's  time  the  army  was  receiving  full  ra 
tions  by  the  river  and  a  shorter  road  on  its  south  bank, 
snatched  from  the  Confederates'  grasp.  By  this  route  we 
were  to  enter  the  field  of  military  operations,  the  great  gate 
way  between  East  Tennessee  and  Georgia,  thirty  miles 
distant. 

Having  obtained  much  needed  clothing  and  food,  we  con 
tinued  progress  on  the  nineteenth,  crossing  the  Tennessee 
upon  pontoon  bridges,  and  bivouacked  that  night  at  White- 
side  Station,  thirteen  miles  in  advance.  Our  noon  rest  was 
at  a  little  stream  which  flows  from  the  mouth  of  Nickajack 
Cave.  The  Confederate  authorities  for  a  time  had  manufac 
tured  saltpetre  here,  and  the  remains  of  their  lixiviating 


2&>  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

works  were  yet  to  be  seen.  At  this  place  we  heard  the 
booming  of  the  artillery  in  Chattanooga.  The  next  day, 
travelling  through  a  rough  mountain  region,  rich  in  bitumi 
nous  coal,  we  came  to  the  base  of  Lookout  Mountain  and  in 
sight  of  the  enemy's  pickets.  The  battle-ground  of  Wau- 
hatchie  was  passed,  where  on  October  28th  and  29th,  How 
ard's  and  Geary's  men  defeated  in  a  night  attack  the  superior 
forces  of  Longstreet,  and  ensured  the  permanency  of  the 
"new  cracker  line,"  which  made  it  possible  to  hold  Chat 
tanooga.  Near  by  were  the  elaborate  camps  of  the  Eastern 
troops,  who  had  followed  Hooker  from  the  bloody  fields  of 
Virginia — as  we  had  come  from  the  conquered  citadel  of 
Vicksburg — to  relieve  from  siege  the  Army  of  the  Cumber 
land. 

There  was  invariably  a  lively  sharpening  of  wits  when  the 
free  and  easy  Western  men  chanced  to  come  in  contact  with 
the  "brass-mounted"  troops  of  the  Potomac.  We  pretended 
to  sympathize  deeply  with  our  compatriots  from  beyond  the 
Alleghanies,  in  their  grievous  separation  from  good  society 
and  the  luxuries  to  which  they  had  been  wonted.  We  volun 
teered  our  condolence  because  they  could  no  longer  draw 
from  the  quartermaster  rye  straw  for  their  beds  and  Day  & 
Martin's  blacking  for  their  brogans.  We  expressed  our  earn 
est  hope  that  they  might  not  be  compelled  to  eat  their  hard 
tack  without  butter.  We  said  to  each  other,  with  simulated 
admiration,  "What  elegant  corpses  they'll  make  in  those 
good  clothes!"  We  prided  ourselves  upon  not  having  a  su 
perfluity  about  us,  not  an  ounce  of  weight  that  did  not  mean 
business — the  business  of  the  campaign.  While  the  knap 
sack  was  light  and  clothes  were  of  minor  consequence,  the 
gun  and  its  proper  accessories  were  always  in  perfect  order 
and  readiness,  and  the  powder  kept  dry. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  for  us  to  look  at  ourselves  as  seen  by 
the  eyes  of  a  gallant  officer  from  New  England,  who  twenty 
years  after  the  war  genially  wrote  of  that  day's  scene  thus: 

One  day  a  "coming  man"  rode  by  the  camp  of  the  Thirty-third;  a 
tall,  straight,  grisly-bearded,  hawk-eyed,  blunt  old  soldier — William 
Tecumseh  Sherman.  Behind  him  came  his  men,  just  in  from  the  Missis 
sippi,  dusty  and  dirty,  ragged  and  shoeless,  hard  marched  as  they  had 


THE    FIFTEENTH    CORPS'    BADGE.  281 

been  hard  fought.  It  was  the  Fifteenth  Corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Ten 
nessee,  Grant's  own  army  which  had  won  him  his  victories.  After  the 
disaster  at  Chickamauga,  Sherman  and  his  corps  had  been  sent  for  by 
Halleck.  On  his  way  from  Vicksburg  Sherman  had  been  appointed  to 
the  command  of  the  whole  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  He  and  his  old 
corps,  at  the  urgent  call  of  Grant,  had  hurried  along  the  road,  fighting 
their  way,  bridging  streams,  repairing  railroads  and  climbing  over  moun 
tains,  but  pressing  on  to  be  in  season  to  help  win  one  more  victory  for 
their  beloved  and  ever  successful  old  chief.  They  rather  despised  the 
tidy  camp  of  the  Thirty-third  as  they  passed  it,  its  men's  cleanly  brushed 
coats,  polished  brasses  and  general  marks  of  Eastern  trimness  and  set 
ting  up,  and  discoursed  of  paper  collars  and  other  articles  regarded  in 
their  eyes  with  contempt.  They  knew  the  Eastern  men  better  on  the 
long  march  afterwards,  as  they  themselves  came  to  be  better  known,  and 
both  mutually  confessed  their  respect. 

It  was  here  that  the  men  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps  awoke  to 
recognition  of  the  fact  that  they  were  behind  the  army  fash 
ion  in  having  no  distinguishing  badge.  While  the  soldiers  of 
other  corps  organizations  displayed  everywhere  glittering 
shields,  crosses,  clover  leaves,  arrows,  acorns,  stars,  etc.,  we 
had  no  peculiar  insignia.  "What's  your  badge?"  asked  a 
Potomac  man  in  spruce  garb,  well-blacked  shoes  and  shiny 
equipments,  of  one  of  the  begrimed  veterans  in  our  van,  as 
it  passed.  "Badge  is  it?"  replied  the  Irishman  questioned, 
slapping  his  cartridge-box  as  he  spoke,  "why  fourty  rounds 
here  to  be  shure,  besides  twinty  in  me  pocket."  No  one  in 
battle-field  or  on  historic  page  has  ever  questioned  our  right 
to  this  the  badge  of  our  adoption. 

A  furious  storm  that  night  drenched  every  one  through 
and  through,  until  it  seemed  as  though  the  very  blood  in  our 
veins  would  be  washed  out.  November  2ist  we  crossed  the 
swift  river  upon  a  frail  pontoon  bridge  at  Brown's  Ferry,  and 
waded  three  miles  in  mire  through  a  steady  pour  until  we 
reached  the  rear  of  some  hills  on  the  peninsula  opposite 
Chattanooga,  where  we  encamped  about  noon.  The  forced 
march  had  ended  at  last.  The  next  morning  our  brigade, 
without  its  camp  equipage,  moved  five  miles  to  the  north 
ward,  and  went  into  bivouac  along  the  North-Chickamauga 
Creek,  which  we  found  filled  with  pontoons.  From  the  sum 
mit  of  a  hill  near  by  many  of  us  sought  and  found  a  compre 
hensive  view  of  the  two  armies  in  their  intrenched  camps  — 


282  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

the  precipitous  crest  of  Lookout,  rising  fifteen  hundred  feet 
above  the  river  on  the  right  of  the  line,  and  Missionary 
Ridge,  stretching  from  the  skirts  of  that  mountain  six  miles 
north  to  the  Chickamauga  River,  on  the  left.  All  along  the 
rugged  range  Bragg's  legions  looked  down  as  from  the  upper 
seats  of  an  ampitheatre  upon  the  camps  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland,  the  town,  and  winding  Tennessee.  Few  more 
strikingly  beautiful  landscapes  can  be  found  in  any  land,  and 
"the  pomp  and  circumstance  of  glorious  war,"  the  thousands 
of  white  tents,  the  batteries  periodically  wreathed  in  white 
smoke,  the  marching  and  countermarching,  the  gay  flags,  the 
busy  wagon  trains  moving  to  and  from  the  depots  of  sup 
plies —  all  added  attraction  and  impressiveness  to  the  scene. 
Monday,  the  23d,  we  remained  in  the  same  position,  and 
received  full  instructions  respecting  an  important  and  dan 
gerous  service  for  which  the  brigade  had  been  selected,  in 
connection  with  the  grand  strategy  by  which  General  Grant 
hoped  to  overwhelm  the  Confederate  forces  then  holding 
Chattanooga  in  close  siege.  Certain  officers  and  men  of  the 
Fifty-fifth  Illinois  and  Eighth  Missouri  were  instructed  to 
carefully  observe  the  position  of  the  cavalry  picket-posts 
along  the  opposite  shore  of  the  Tennessee,  both  by  day  and 
night.  One  hundred  and  sixteen  pontoons,  constructed  in 
Chattanooga,  had  been  secretly  conveyed  across  the  river 
and  by  woods-roads  to  the  creek  where  we  lay,  about  a  mile 
above  its  junction  with  the  river.  Every  boat  was  manned 
by  four  oarsmen  selected  for  their  acquaintance  with  water- 
craft.  The  company  commanders  received  special  instruc 
tions,  and  in  turn  informed  their  men.  All  guns  were  loaded 
but  not  capped,  and  no  one  was  to  fire  on  any  pretence  what 
ever,  unless  by  orders.  To  each  boat  w«fc  assigned  twenty- 
five  men  and  officers.  At  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night  the 
boats  received  their  quotas,  and  the  expedition  started.  The 
Eighth  Missouri  led,  followed  by  the  Fifty-fifth.  The  long 
line  of  pontoons  floated  silently  down  the  narrow  creek  until 
the  Tennessee  was  reached,  and  then  hugged  the  west  shore 
as  closely  as  possible.  Not  a  loud  word  was  spoken;  we 
hushed  our  very  whispers,  and  the  oars  were  carefully  muf 
fled.  The  impetuous  river,  swollen  by  the  heavy  rains,  bore 


PERILOUS    NIGHT    EXPEDITION.  283 

us  swiftly  down,  and  the  darkness  was  so  dense  under  the 
clouded  sky  and  in  the  shadows  of  the  forest-lined  shore, 
that  we  could  hardly  see  the  batteau  next  before  or  behind. 
The  rebel  picket  fires  on  the  opposite  bank  glimmered 
through  the  mist;  we  could  see  the  guards  throwing  wood 
upon  them,  and  once  heard  the  challenge  of  a  sentinel,  but 
rarely  was  there  any  sound  save  the  steady  monotone  of  the 
river's  rushing  water. 

The  leading  boat  directed  its  course  so  as  to  run  across 
the  stream  a  little  below  the  first  picket-post,  and  the  instant 
it  struck  the  land  the  twenty-five  men  sprang  ashore,  quickly 
surrounded  the  sentinel  and  reserve  guard,  and  quietly  march 
ing  them  to  the  boat,  landed  them  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  and  then  followed  the  other  pontoons.  The  second 
boat  in  like  manner  took  in  the  second  outpost,  and  so  on 
until  all  were  seized.  But  one  gun  was  fired,  and  that  by  the 
last  sentinel  captured,  who  in  his  nervous  surprise,  fired  in 
the  air;  but  this  caused  no  alarm  to  the  enemy.  The  Eighth 
Missouri  and  One-hundred-sixteenth  Illinois  landed  above  the 
mouth  of  Chickamauga  River.  The  other  regiments,  follow 
ing  the  lead  of  the  Fifty-fifth  and  passing  down  three  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  crossed  the  river  at  a  point 
which  had  been  selected,  a  lantern  on  the  west  shore  serving 
as  a  signal  to  the  oarsmen.  Landing  with  intrenching  tools, 
pickets  were  thrown  out  and  a  tete  de  pont  was  begun  at  once. 
Every  man  worked  with  a  will,  the  ground  was  favorable,  and 
in  an  incredibly  short  time  quite  substantial  earth-works  were 
thrown  up.  The  oarsmen,  as  fast  as  their  boats  were  unload 
ed,  hastened  directly  to  the  opposite  shore,  where  the  other 
troops  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps  were  in  waiting  to  be  ferried 
over.  Before  there  was  a  glimpse  of  dayligftt,  not  only  the 
whole  of  our  own  division,  commanded  by  General  Morgan 
L.  Smith,  but  that  of  General  John  E.  Smith  —  eight  thou 
sand  men  in  all — were  in  line  on  the  south  bank. 

The  pioneers  began  constructing  the  bridge  as  soon  as  the 
landing  was  effected,  each  pontoon  bringing  over  its  portion 
of  balks,  chesses  and  anchors.  The  wagons  of  the  train, 
with  twenty-four  extra  batteaux,  had  been  brought  to  the 
place  of  crossing,  so  that  there  was  no  delay,  and  as  fast  as 


284  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

the  boats  used  for  ferriage  were  needed,  the  oarsmen  deliv 
ered  them,  the  construction  going  on  simultaneously  from 
both  shores.  The  little  steamer  Dunbar  also  came  up  from 
Chattanooga  to  aid  in  transporting  the  forces.  By  noon  the 
three  divisions,  with  their  artillery,  were  in  battle  array, 
marching  three  columns  en  echelon  towards  the  railroad  tun 
nel  at  the  northern  end  of  Missionary  Ridge,  the  right  flank 
of  Bragg's  army.  A  fourth  division,  under  General  Jeff  C. 
Davis,  was  crossing  the  completed  bridge. 

Our  brigade  was  formed  on  the  extreme  left,  and  followed 
the  course  of  the  Chickamauga  River  in  the  advance.  A 
dense  mist  which  soon  increased  to  a  drizzling  rain  concealed 
the  movement  in  some  degree,  alike  from  friend  and  foe. 
Two  hills,  the  northernmost  summits  of  the  range,  were 
quickly  gained,  against  no  opposition  but  that  of  a  skirmish 
line,  and  artillery  upon  the  ridge  to  the  right.  Intrench- 
ments  were  promptly  made  upon  these,  and  batteries  got 
into  position.  These  two  hills  proved  to  be  detached  from 
the  continuous  crest  called  Missionary  Ridge,  by  a  deep  val 
ley,  and  from  the  tunnel  by  a  steep  hill  covered  with  woods, 
upon  the  top  of  which  was  a  section  of  artillery  and  a  large 
force  of  infantry  in  a  square  redoubt  built  of  logs,  stone  and 
earth.  Over  the  tunnel  was  a  strong  battery  of  Napoleon 
guns.  Beyond  this  stretched  the  unbroken  ridge  for  miles, 
running  in  a  straight  line  nearly  north  and  south. 

The  Union  cavalry  had  crossed  the  Tennessee  behind  the 
infantry,  and  passing  the  Chickamauga  by  a  short  pontoon 
bridge  thrown  across  near  its  mouth,  was  already  on  its  way 
to  cut  the  railroad  communications  between  Knoxville  and 
Chattanooga.  The  First  brigade  was  opposed  by  skirmishers 
in  its  advance,  2nd,  when  these  were  pushed  back,  by  artillery 
which  did  not  long  retard  our  progress.  During  the  melee, 
however,  we  lost  our  brave  leader,  General  Giles  A.  Smith, 
who  was  severely  wounded  by  a  bullet.  The  command 
devolved  upon  Colonel  Tupper  of  the  One-hundred-sixteenth 
Illinois.  At  night  we  intrenched  the  lines  gained,  and  the 
Confederates  were  heard  busily  strengthening  their  defences. 
Orders  came  to  renew  the  onward  movement  at  dawn.  The 
clouds  fled  from  the  sky,  and  the  mists  rolled  up  the  hillsides 


BATTLE    OF    MISSIONARY    RIDGE.  285 

and  slowly  vanished.  The  moon,  thus  unveiled  for  a  time, 
soon  became  obscured  by  entering  the  earth's  shadow,  and 
thousands  of  sleepless  men  lay  shivering  on  the  ground, 
watching  the  waxing  and  waning  of  the  eclipse.  The  air 
grew  chillier,  and  wherever  they  could  safely  do  so,  the  sol 
diers  built  little  fires  to  warm  themselves  and  prepare  coffee. 
These  fires,  gleaming  brightly  among  the  foot-hills,  told  our 
allies  in  the  town  that  Sherman's  part  in  the  grand  strategy 
had  been  thus  far  well  done.  General  Hooker  on  the  right, 
seven  miles  away,  having  been  equally  fortunate  in  the  part 
assigned  him,  occupied  Lookout  Mountain. 

The  general  plan  of  battle  proposed  for  Wednesday,  the 
twenty-fifth,  was  for  General  Hooker  to  cross  the  Chatta 
nooga  valley  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  Rossville,  and  facing 
north  to  envelope  the  left  flank,  while  Sherman,  facing  south, 
vigorously  assailed  the  right  flank  of  the  Confederate  army; 
and  when  Bragg  should  have  weakened  his  centre  in  his 
efforts  to  resist  these  flank  attacks,  Thomas  was  to  assault 
with  his  whole  line.  Shortly  after  sunrise  the  Fifteenth 
Corps  began  its  advance,  and  General  Corse's  brigade  was 
soon  hotly  engaged  with  the  Arkansas  and  Texas  brigades 
on  the  fortified  hill.  We  were  five  miles  from  Chattanooga, 
strongly  entrenched  across  the  northern  end  of  Missionary 
Ridge  within  musket  shot  of  the  tunnel,  our  left  flank  pro 
tected  by  the  Chickamauga  River,  our  right  within  support 
of  the  left  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  It  was  all- 
important  for  the  Confederate  commander  not  only  to  pre 
vent  our  gaining  another  rod  of  ground,  but  to  push  us  from 
what  we  had  acquired;  for  over  four  divisions  of  veteran 
soldiers  threatened  his  railroad  communications,  his  base  of 
supplies  at  Chickamauga  Station,  and  his  line  of  retreat. 
But  the  position  on  the  hill  above  the  tunnel  was  by  nature 
the  strongest  defensible  point  on  the  whole  Confederate  line, 
and  the  movements  of  the  enemy  were  entirely  masked  from 
us  by  the  dense  woods. 

The  day  was  cold,  the  air  clear  of  mist,  and  from  every 
elevation  the  extensive  and  enchanting  landscape  of  which 
Chattanooga  is  the  centre  could  be  seen  bathed  in  sunshine. 
Only  occasionally  the  white  puffs  of  smoke  from  the  field 


286  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

guns  told  that  war's  dread  work  was  going  on  all  along  the 
six  miles  between  us  and  Bragg's  left;  but  no  sounds  even  of 
artillery  could  break  through  the  din  of  fierce  conflict  near 
at  hand.  The  desperate  charge  of  General  Corse's  men  failed 
to  carry  the  hill  commanding  the  tunnel,  but  gained  a  threat 
ening  position  to  which  they  clung  in  spite  of  the  repeated 
efforts  made  to  dislodge  them.  On  his  right  and  left  the 
divisions  of  Generals  John  E.  and  Morgan  L.  Smith  advanced 
in  support.  Our  brigade  was  moving  directly  towards  the 
rear  of  the  Confederate  position,  unopposed,  but  also  unsup 
ported,  and  nearing  a  hazardous  position  where  a  massed 
force  of  the  enemy  lay  in  wait;  but  about  noon  we  were 
ordered  by  the  right  flank  into  close  support  of  the  attacking 
column,  re-enforcements  from  General  Howard's  command 
coming  to  our  aid  on  the  left.  The  Fifty-fifth,  in  this  move 
ment  through  the  woodland  to  reach  the  base  of  the  hill 
assailed,  encountered  a  sharp  fire  from  artillery  at  close  range. 
Shells  were  constantly  bursting  over,  near  and  among  us,  but 
did  astonishingly  little  harm,  three  men  only  being  slightly 
wounded  by  them. 

The  contest  continued  for  hours  upon  the  same  ground 
with  varying  success.  Where  we  had  hoped  to  find  the 
enemy  the  weakest  and  least  prepared,  they  were  evidently 
in  great  force  and  amply  fortified.  General  Bragg  had  sent 
regiment  after  regiment  from  his  left  to  mass  against  us  in 
the  wooded  gorge  at  the  tunnel. 

The  command  of  the  right  wing  of  the  Confederate  army 
was  vested  in  Lieutenant-General  Hardee,  and  the  forces 
directly  confronting  us  belonged  to  the  famous  division  of 
General  Patrick  Cleburne.  This  division  had  been  ordered 
to  Knoxville,  and  was  already  embarking  upon  cars  when 
recalled,  after  the  successful  Union  attack  upon  Orchard 
Knob,  November  23d.  General  Walker's  division  was  brought 
from  Lookout  on  the  twenty-fourth  to  strengthen  Cleburne, 
and  upon  the  abandonment  of  that  mountain,  during  the 
twenty-fifth,  the  divisions  of  Generals  Cheatham  and  Steven 
son  were  also  moved  to  the  extreme  right.  Some  of  the 
troops  of  the  last  named  division  were  paroled  prisoners 
from  Vicksburg,  faithlessly  declared  exchanged  by  the  Con- 


BATTLE    OF    MISSIONARY    RIDGE.  287 

federate  War  Department  and  forced  into  service.  In  a  letter 
to  the  Richmond  Despatch,  dated  on  the  twenty-fifth,  "Sal- 
lust"  says:  "Finding  that  he  could  not  withdraw  his  army  in 
time,  General  Bragg  has  given  orders  to  mass  his  whole 
available  force  on  the  right."  From  this  it  would  seem  that 
the  Confederate  leader  had  proposed  to  abandon  the  Mis 
sionary-Ridge  line,  which  accords  with  the  assertion  of  a 
deserter  on  the  twenty-second  —  information  apparently  dis 
credited  at  the  time  by  our  generals.  General  Grant  says: 
"From  the  position  I  occupied  I  could  see  column  after  col 
umn  of  Bragg's  forces  moving  against  Sherman."  The  Fif 
teenth  Corps  in  fact  had,  so  far  as  was  possible,  completed 
the  task  assigned  to  it.  In  pursuance  of  the  plan  of  battle 
the  general  assault  was  expected  to  be  made  before  noon, 
but  as  is  usual  in  complex  tactics  over  large  areas,  unforeseen 
delays  had  arisen.  General  Hooker  had  no  considerable  force 
opposing  him,  for  the  troops  that  had  garrisoned  Lookout 
Mountain  and  the  Chattanooga  valley  had  marched  to  con 
front  Sherman.  But  the  distance  to  Rossville  was  about  five 
miles,  and  the  bridge  over  Chattanooga  Creek  was  found  de 
stroyed,  causing  four  hours'  detention. 

Our  position  was  undoubtedly  becoming  perilous,  although 
few  even  of  Sherman's  generals  were  at  the  time  aware, 
probably,  that  so  powerful  a  force  was  menacing  us,  watching 
from  covert  of  the  forest  for  the  favorable  moment  to  become 
the  assailants.  It  was  past  three  o'clock  before  General 
Grant,  finding  that  success  would  be  imperilled  if  he  waited 
longer  for  the  van  of  General  Hooker's  force  to  appear, 
directed  General  Thomas  to  advance.  The  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  moved  steadily  forward,  unchecked  by  the 
deadly  fire  it  met  at  all  points,  and  drove  the  enemy  in  con 
fusion  from  the  lower  line  of  rifle-pits;  then,  without  halting 
for  re-alignment,  as  the  orders  had  contemplated,  in  the  en 
thusiasm  inspired  by  conspicuous  success,  the  men  dashed 
onward  up  the  steep  ridge,  and  carried  the  main  works  that 
crowned  the  summit,  hitherto^  considered  impregnable. 
Chickamauga  was  avenged.  General  Hooker  came  up  in 
good  time  from  Rossville  on  the  right.  The  battle  was  won, 
and  Bragg's  left  wing,  a  disorganized  mob,  was  madly  fleeing 


288  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

for  the  mountain  fastnesses  of  Georgia.  But  night  came 
down  upon  the  field  before  we  could  know  of  this  success, 
and  the  troops  at  Tunnel  Hill  slipped  away  unmolested  under 
cover  of  the  darkness. 

Our  brigade  had  relieved  a  portion  of  the  column  of 
attack  at  dusk,  and  occupied  a  line  of  captured  rifle-pits 
which  we  were  busily  engaged  in  reversing  and  improving, 
until  an  advance  by  a  part  of  the  division,  about  midnight, 
disclosed  the  fact  that  the  tunnel  and  its  guardian  hills  were 
tenanted  only  by  the  dead.  Orders  for  pursuit  came  soon 
after,  and  at  seven  the  next  morning  we  marched  from  the 
battle-ground,  crossed  the  pontoon  bridge  -at  the  mouth  of 
the  Chickamauga  river  and  proceeded  ten  miles  over  roads 
so  muddy  as  to  be  almost  impassable  for  teams,  following 
the  line  of  the  Charleston  railroad.  At  Chickamauga  Sta 
tion,  immense  piles  of  corn,  beans  and  army  stores  of  all 
kinds  were  burning,  and  the  highway  was  strewn  for  many 
miles  with  broken  and  abandoned  wagons  and  camp  equi 
page.  November  27th  we  marched  beyond  Graysville  into 
Georgia,  in  a  soaking  rain.  We  could  see  the  smoke  of 
conflict  across  the  valley  where  the  fame  of  General  Hooker, 
the  hero  of  the  "battle  above  the  clouds,"  was  temporarily 
put  under  a  cloud  by  Pat  Cleburne  with  the  stubborn  rear 
guard  of  Bragg's  army,  at  Ringold  Gap.  November  28th 
we  effectually  destroyed  the  railway  track  for  miles,  and 
began  return  northward  the  next  morning,  turning  from  the 
Chattanooga  road  to  the  eastward  through  Julian's  Gap,  and 
marching  seventeen  miles.  The  following  day  we  gained 
Charleston,  on  the  Hiawassee,  driving  the  rebel  cavalry  from 
the  town. 

During  the  last  day's  progress  we  met  abundant  evidence 
of  the  existence  of  a  strong  Union  sentiment  among  the 
population,  and  frequently  little  flags  were  affixed  to  the 
gate-posts  to  advertise  the  owners'  devotion  to  the  Consti 
tution.  One  young  woman,  who  stood  in  the  doorway  of  a 
house  in  Cleveland  waving  the  stars  and  stripes  in  welcome, 
was  greeted  with  cheer  upon  cheer  all  along  the  column  as 
it  passed.  Avowed  loyalty  to  the  flag  here  we  knew  to  be 
something  more  than  a  sentimental  declaration  of  prefer- 


THE    MARCH    TO    KNOXVILLE.  289 

ence.  It  meant  suffering  for  conscience'  sake;  it  meant  .the 
attestation  of  faith  by  endurance  of  insult,  relentless 
persecution,  and  even  captivity;  it  meant  not  seldom  deadly 
feud  between  neighbors,  estrangement  in  families,  and  the 
loss  of  nearly  all  that  life  holds  dear.  For  this  idyllic  land, 
this  sylvan  Arcadia  bearing  every  outward  semblance  of 
rural  peacefulness  and  contentment,  had  witnessed  scenes  of 
unrestrained  human  passion,  internecine  strife  and  brutal 
cruelty,  for  which  the  war's  history  has  few  parallels. 

The  high  road  to  Georgia  was  now  open;  the  nitre  beds 
upon  which  the  Confederacy  had  placed  its  main  reliance 
for  the  manufacture  of  powder,  the  coal-mines  and  found 
ries  were  at  last  within  our  grasp.  The  Chattanooga 
campaign  here  properly  ends.  To  the  Fifty-fifth  it  had 
been  a  terribly  laborious  and  exciting  campaign,  but  one 
attended  with  marvelously  small  loss  in  view  of  the  perils 
encountered.  The  effective  force  of  the  regiment  was 
reported  at  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven  previous  to  the 
battles  of  November  24th  and  25th.  Its  casualties  in  those 
engagements  were  but  three: — James  Howell  and  Marcus 
Hardenbrook  of  Company  B,  slightly  wounded  in  the  face 
by  explosion  of  a  shell,  and  Henry  Reagger  of  Company  C, 
slightly  wounded  in  the  hand  by  a  shell. 

There  had  been  intense  and  outspoken  anxiety  at  Wash 
ington  and  in  the  North  generally,  lest  General  Burnside  and 
his  little  army,  besieged  in  Knoxville  by  Longstreet,  should 
be  overwhelmed  by  force  or  starvation.  Reports  had  been 
coming  to  our  ears  long  before  the  victory  that  he  could  not 
hold  out  longer  than  the  first  week  in  December,  for  want  of 
provisions.  By  every  communication  from  the  War  Depart 
ment  General  Grant  was  warned  to  protect  loyal  Tennessee. 
Some  of  this  vociferous  uneasiness  on  the  part  of  the  author 
ities  at  the  Capitol  turned  out  to  be  rather  unnecessary. 
General  Burnside  proved  able  to  take  care  of  General  Long- 
street  when  he  became  actively  offensive,  and  although  his 
brave  soldiers  suffered  many  privations  until  relieved  by  the 
approach  of  Sherman's  column,  they  were  not  reduced  to 
such  straits  for  food  as  the  army  of  Rosecrans  had  been  be 
fore  our  coming  to  Chattanooga,  nor  as  was  our  own  division 
19 


290  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

before  it  regained  its  camps.  General  Grant  gave  up  earnest 
pursuit  of  Bragg  to  hasten  succor  for  Knoxville.  General 
Gordon  Granger  with  two  divisions  had  been  sent  forward 
immediately  after  the  victory  was  decided,  but  the  rate  of 
his  progress  not  being  altogether  satisfactory,  Generals  Mor 
gan  L.  Smith's  and  Ewing's  divisions  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps, 
and  the  divisions  of  Generals  O.  O.  Howard  and  Jeff.  C.  Davis 
were  ordered  to  follow,  General  Sherman  having  command 
of  the  six  divisions. 

The  Fifty-fifth  had  now  been  a  week  absent  from  its  camp, 
whence  it  started  out  stripped  for  fight  with  two  days'  rations 
in  haversacks.  The  weather  was  severely  cold,  ice  forming 
nightly  over  the  pools  in  the  muddy  roads  sometimes  nearly 
an  inch  in  thickness,  and  all  suffered  greatly  from  want  of 
clothing.  The  knapsacks  had  been  left  behind,  and  most  of 
the  men  had  no  blankets.  The  officers  carried  rubber  blank 
ets  only,  and  these  alone  formed  their  bedding  save  when  the 
bivouac  chanced  to  be  near  a  straw-stack  or  in  the  oak  woods 
where  leaves  could  be  raked  together;  and  such  materials 
were  usually  rain-soaked.  Soldiers  disposed  to  be  scrupulous 
about  personal  cleanliness  could  often  be  seen  at  night  wash 
ing  their  shirts  in  the  creek  and  drying  them  before  the 
camp-fire.  The  rations  were  almost  exclusively  corn-meal 
and  such  meat,  fresh  or  salt,  as  our  foragers  brought  in.  We 
had  but  one  wagon  along  for  all  uses,  and  were  forced  to  rely 
exclusively  upon  the  neighboring  country  for  subsistence. 
One  day  the  regiment  feasted  upon  newly  cured  hams,  tur 
keys,  fresh  mutton  and  beef;  the  next,  perhaps,  it  had  little 
but  corn-meal.  Large  quantities  of  excellent  sorghum  mo 
lasses  were  found.  Every  mill  we  passed  was  set  in  motion 
to  grind  grain.  One  night  all  who  had  partaken  too  liberally 
of  pancakes  made  of  some  flour  got  at  one  of  these  mills, 
were  suddenly  taken  with  violent  qualms,  and  the  cry  of 
"poisoned  meal"  began  to  be  heard.  But  the  trouble  was 
soon  ascertained  to  arise  from  "sick  wheat,"  and  the  ill  effects 
were  brief.  Poultry  of  every  kind  abounded;  but  gobbling 
and  quack  and  cackle  were  speedily  hushed  in  the  land,  and 
the  army  left  of  the  abundance  only  bones  and  feathers  be 
hind.  Even  the  patriarchal  leader  of  the  snowy  flock  was 


FORCED    MARCH    TO    KNOXVILLE.  291 

not  spared,  as  could  be  testified  by  a  certain  gourmand  of 
Company  G,  who  cooked  one  goose  two  or  three  days  in  suc 
cession  as  he  had  opportunity,  and,  unable  to  disjoint  the 
bird,  turned  it  over  to  a  man  of  Company  I,  who  finally 
abandoned  it  in  its  undiminished  integrity,  swearing  it  was 
only  a  deceptive  petrifaction. 

From  Chattanooga  to  Knoxville  is  a  journey  of  eighty- 
four  miles.  Our  forced  march  began  December  1st,  at  noon, 
when  we  crossed  the  Hiawassee  upon  the  railway  bridge 
which  had  been  partially  saved  from  destruction  and  planked 
over.  Our  day's  march  of  seventeen  miles  ended  near  Ath 
ens.  We  had  left  the  mountains  and  entered  the  lovely 
garden  valleys  of  Eastern  Tennessee  —  a  land  of  rich  pas 
tures  and  easily  tilled  farms,  of  pure,  pebbly-bottomed 
streams  and  forests  of  valuable  woods,  of  inspiring  scenery 
and  equable  climate;  a  region  favored  with  more  natural 
attractions  for  human  homes  than  almost  any  other  in  the 
world.  On  the  second  we  marched  twenty-four  miles  through 
Sweet  Water,  and  on  the  third  thirteen  miles  through  Phila 
delphia  to  Morgantown,  where  we  were  stopped  by  the  un- 
bridged  Little  Tennessee,  here  over  seven  hundred  feet  wide, 
swift,  and  too  deep  fpr  fording.  The  little  village  contained 
but  few  buildings,  and  these  were  quickly  resolved  into  their 
primitive  elements,  to  be  rapidly  reconstructed,  under  the 
direction  of  General  James  H.  Wilson,  into  a  bridge  for  the 
troops  to  pass  over.  During  the  night  of  the  fourth  we 
crossed,  and  on  the  fifth  advanced  fifteen  miles  to  within  a 
short  distance  of  Marysville,  which  town  we  entered  the  next 
morning,  meeting  the  other  divisions  coming  up  on  converg 
ing  roads.  We  were  less  than  fifteen  miles  from  Knoxville. 
Longstreet,  having  been  repulsed  with  great  slaughter  in  an 
assault  upon  the  works  there,  had  withdrawn  from  the  siege 
during  the  night  of  the  fourth,  and  fled  up  the  Holston 
valley.  General  Burnside  courteously  acknowledged  his 
obligations  to  Sherman's  army,  and  we  turned  southward 
again. 

Throughout  our  march  we  met  only  friendly  greetings  and 
willing  assistance.  With  one  acclaim  we  were  joyously  hailed 
as  deliverers.  Grey-haired  men  bade  us  God  speed,  and  sad- 


292  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

faced  women  called  upon  heaven  to  bless  us.  And  when  the 
brave  lassies  of  those  beautiful  valleys  came  out  upon  the 
roadside,  as  they  daily  did,  holding  out  diminutive  copies  of 
the  starry  banner  and  wearing  welcoming  smiles  upon  their 
blushing  faces,  rank  and  file  went  wild  with  patriotic  enthusi 
asm.  The  surviving  veterans  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  reviewing  its 
history  indelibly  engraved  in  their  memories,  find  many 
pages  emblazoned  with  greater  military  glory,  many  pages 
crimsoned  with  the  blood  of  greater  sacrifice,  but  perhaps  no 
page  is  oftener  reviewed  with  more  unmixed  satisfaction  than 
that  which  recalls  how,  through  toil  of  travel  and  great  suffer 
ing  from  cold  and  hunger,  it  hastened  to  aid  the  final  deliv 
erance  of  this  people  who  had  long  borne  in  unflinching 
loyalty  the  brutal  oppression  of  traitors. 

The  division  of  General  M.  L.  Smith  was  ordered  to  fol 
low  in  support  of  a  cavalry  force  sent  to  pursue  a  detachment 
of  the  enemy  which  was  escaping  with  a  wagon  train  into  the 
mountains  of  North  Carolina.  December  7th  we  camped 
two  or  three  miles  south  of  the  bridge  constructed  at  Mor- 
gantown,  eighteen  miles  from  our  starting  point,  and  on  the 
eighth  at  dusk,  wading  the  bridgeless  Tellico  Creek,  went 
into  bivouac  eighteen  miles  nearer  the  slate  line,  in  the  rum 
pled  skirts  of  the  Great  Smoky  range.  It  had  been  a  long 
and  wearisome  day's  march.  Not  only  had  the  roads  been 
rough  and  miry,  but  the  wind  that  blew  in  our  faces  was  of 
marrow-piercing  chilliness.  The  sky,  all  day  lowering,  grew 
black  and  threatening  before  the  column  halted  in  a  grove  of 
young  trees.  As  soon  as  the  guns  were  stacked  and  the 
guards  designated,  the  men  hurried  their  preparations  for 
appeasing  ravenous  appetites  and  for  setting  up  such  little 
shelter  as  they  could  contrive  against  the  storm  evidently 
near  at  hand.  Division  of  labor  and  long  experience  make 
quick  workers.  Some  gathered  fuel  and  lighted  fires,  while 
their  messmates  selected  the  fittest  spots  of  ground  and, 
gathering  grass  and  leaves  for  the  night's  bed,  covered  them 
with  such  slight  roofs  as  could  be  improvised.  A  few  fires 
began  to  send  out  a  promising  blaze.  In  a  few  minutes  more 
the  cheerful  sizzling  of  frying  meat  and  the  refreshing  odor 
of  steaming  coffee  would  have  pervaded  the  bivouac,  and 


TELLICO    PLAINS.  293 

half  the  day's  discouragements  would  have  disappeared  with 
the  sparks  that  went  sailing  up  among  the  foliage.  Just  at 
this  critical  moment,  as  if  bearing  us  special  malice,  the 
storm  burst.  The  rain  came  in  sheets,  and  the  wind  quickly 
rose  to  a  gale.  Every  spark  of  fire  was  almost  instantly 
drowned  out,  and  pitch  darkness  settled  like  a  pall  over  the 
little  camp  of  drenched,  tired,  hungry,  shivering,  disconsolate 
patriots.  Some  stood,  some  sat  down  with  backs  to  the  wind, 
covering  themselves  with  rubber  blankets,  if  any  they  had, 
and  brooded  in  sullen  despondency  over  their  joyless  lot, 
homesick  and  lonely  in  the  "  tumultuous  privacy  of  storm." 
No  sound  was  for  a  time  heard  save  the  swish  of  the  wind- 
tortured  tree-tops,  and  the  roar  of  the  elements.  But  sud 
denly  a  well-known  voice  from  the  right  of  the  camp  broke 
the  silence,  rising,  resonant  and  clear  as  a  bell,  above  the 
turmoil  of  the  tempest.  It  was  the  chaplain,  singing  that 
grand  old  hymn  by  Stowell : 

"  From  every  stormy  wind  that  blows, 
From  every  swelling  tide  of  woes, 
There  is  a  calm,  a  safe  retreat ; 
Tis  found  beneath  the  mercy  seat." 

With  the  second  line  a  few  voices  joined,  and  more  and  more 
took  up  the  strain,  until  it  rang  out  through  the  gloom  like  a 
paean  of  victory.  It  was — the  victory  of  Christian  psalmody; 
at  once  exaltation  and  benediction. 

The  next  day  we  passed  the  Tellico  Iron  Works  before 
noon,  and  having  marched  about  two  miles  encamped  at 
Tellico  Plains.  In  this  neighborhood  we  remained,  sur 
rounded  by  grand  mountain  scenery,  for  four  days,  living 
upon  the  rich  Secessionist  farmers  and  sending  out  foraging 
parties  through  the  whole  region,  even  across  the  North  Car 
olina  line.  December  I3th  we  resumed  our  return  march 
westward  by  Chilahoma  Mountain,  crossing  Conasauga  Creek. 
On  the  fourteenth  we  reached  Chestuee  Creek,  on  the  fif 
teenth  passed  through  Charleston,  on  the  sixteenth  advanced 
to  Cleveland,  and  on  the  seventeenth  came  to  Chattanooga. 
During  this  five-days'  march  of  seventy-five  miles  it  rained 
most  of  the  time,  the  roads  were  heavy,  many  of  the  men 
were  footsore,  and  all  were  half  starved.  It  was,  moreover, 


294  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

bitterly  cold.  The  only  way  reasonable  comfort  could  be 
got  at  night  was  by  building  huge  fires  of  pine  logs,  piled 
often  eight  or  ten  feet  high,  and  raising  a  shelter  of  evergreen 
on  the  windward  side,  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  away,  under  pro 
tection  of  which  a  thickly  packed  rank,  with  feet  to  the 
blaze,  took  their  well-earned  rest.  The  whole  country  had 
been  stripped  of  its  provisions  by  both  armies  twice  over. 
Upon  our  arrival  in  the  vicinity  of  an  army  commissary, 
many  had  for  twenty-four  hours  or  more  eaten  no  morsel  of 
food,  and  most  had  tasted  little  but  unground  corn  for  two  or 
three  days.  Some  beef  was  at  once  obtained,  and  the  men 
were  to  be  seen  everywhere  broiling  their  rations  over  little 
fires,  and  hardly  waiting  for  the  meat  to  be  warmed  through 
before  they  ravenously  devoured  it.  All  were  ragged,  many 
were  entirely  shoeless,  and  others  so  footsore  that  they  could 
not  be  expected  to  walk  another  hour.  These  last  were 
selected  from  the  brigade  and  sent  down  the  river  in  pon 
toons,  Captain  Nourse  of  the  Fifty-fifth  having  the  honor  to 
be  placed  in  command  of  the  fleet  manned  by  "  the  barefoot 
brigade." 

The  regiment  marched  to  Bridgeport,  arriving  there  on 
the  evening  of  December  igth,  badly  fagged  by  its  long  day's 
journey  of  twenty-five  miles.  Indeed  it  might  be  called  a 
go-as-you-please  march,  for  several  of  the  regiment  failed  to 
appear  until  the  next  day.  The  pontoons  had  anchored  in 
the  same  harbor  a  few  hours  before  the  first  of  the  footmen 
came  over  the  bridge.  The  quartermaster  and  his  men  had 
a  camp  in  order  ready  for  our  coming,  having  arrived  at 
Bridgeport  three  days  earlier.  December  2Oth  clothing  was 
issued.  The  Fifty-fifth,  blossoming  out  in  fresh  blue,  bore 
little  resemblance  to  the  ragged,  travel-stained,  unkempt 
horde  of  tramps  that  straggled  into  town  the  night  before. 
December  23d  Major  Newcomen  paid  us  four  months'  dues, 
and  on  Christmas  day  the  colonel,  with  ten  enlisted  men  de 
tailed  for  recruiting  service,  left  for  Illinois.  The  same  day 
died  in  camp  Corporal  Matthew  McComb,  a  modest,  cour 
ageous  man  who  quietly  and  faithfully  served  his  country  as 
he  quietly  and  faithfully  did  everything  that  came  to  him  in 
the  light  of  Christian  duty. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

WINTER    QUARTERS. RE-ENLISTMENT. 

THE  Fifteenth  Army  Corps,  of  which  General  John  A. 
Logan  now  assumed  command,  relieving  General  Blair, 
was  ordered  to  be  stationed  along  the  railroad  from  Steven 
son  to  Decatur,  for  the  winter.  Both  of  these  towns  were  in 
direct  communication  by  rail  with  Nashville,  the  headquar 
ters  of  the  department.  December  26th  the  Fifty-fifth  was 
ordered  to  Bellefonte,  about  twenty-five  miles  west  of  Bridge 
port.  The  roads  proved  almost  impassable,  it  rained  inces 
santly,  and  animals  and  men  were  chilled  through  by  the 
wintry  blasts  from  the  mountains.  Three  full  days  were  con 
sumed  before  the  regiment  reached  its  destination,  and  then 
the  wagon  train  could  not  keep  pace  with  the  troops,  and 
tents  and  camp  utensils  did  not  get  to  them  until  the  twenty- 
ninth.  Even  with  their  recent  bitter  trials  in  campaign  life 
fresh  in  memory,  many  declared  this  march  the  worst  in  all 
their  experience.  Supposing  Bellefonte  fixed  upon  as  win 
ter  quarters,  the  men  began  to  elaborate  the  camp,  building 
chimneys  and  in  other  ways  making  their  huts  as  comfort 
able  as  possible,  though  all  suffered  greatly  from  the  unusual 
severity  of  the  weather.  It  proved  but  a  nine  days'  home, 
after  all. 

The  regiment  now  numbered  about  four  hundred  and 
seventy  present  and  absent,  over  one-third  of  whom  were 
upon  detached  service.  The  provisions  of  General  Orders 
191  and  376  of  the  War  Department,  proffering  a  bounty  of 


296  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

four  hundred  and  two  dollars  and  a  furlough  of  thirty  days 
to  veteran  volunteers  of  at  least  nine  months'  service,  re- 
enlisting  for  three  years  or  during  the  war,  were  being 
accepted  very  generally  by  those  troops  about  us  to  whom 
these  orders  applied.  But  in  the  Fifty-fifth  no  enthusiasm 
had  been  awakened  and  very  few  had  avowed  their  intention 
to  re-enlist.  In  a  regiment  so  noted  for  its  ardent  patriotism 
and  soldierly  qualities  this  reluctance  astonished  its  friends, 
and  especially  the  generals  under  whom  it  had  served.  The 
following  order  was  read  on  New-Year's  day. 


HEADQUARTERS  20  Div.,  15™  ARMY  CORPS,  ) 
BELLEFONTE,  ALA.,  Dec.  31,  1863.        ) 
MEN  OF  THE  SECOND  DIVISION  :  — 

I  have  a  word  for  your  private  ear.  The  campaign  which  you 
have  just  completed  exceeds  by  far  any  other  march  that  has  been  made 
during  this  or  any  other  war.  This  division  has  marched  from  Eastport 
to  Tuscumbia  and  back  to  Eastport  farther  than  any  other  division  in  the 
Corps;  and  the  Second  brigade  has  marched  from  Tellico  towards  Mur 
phy,  twenty  miles,  and  back  further  than  any  other  brigade  in  the  Corps. 
I  claim  for  you  that  your  march  was  more  orderly,  and  that  you  lost  one 
hundred  per  cent,  less  men  from  straggling  than  any  other  division.  For 
all  this  you  have  a  great  reward  in  your  own  manly  breasts,  that  no  paid 
newspaper  reporter  can  rob  you  of. 

Now  a  grave  question  presents  itself  to  you.  Will  you  join  the  Vet 
eran  Corps?  Will  you  finish  the  job  you  have  so  nobly  commenced,  or 
will  you  falter  so  near  the  end  of  the  race,  and  resign  the  crowning  glory 
to  other  hands?  Don't  for  an  instant  think  that  I  wish  to  persuade  one 
man  to  act  against  his  convictions  of  duty;  but  let  me  tell  you  that  a 
great  and  rich  country  will  never  tire  of  rewarding  the  men  that  stand  by 
it  to  the  end.  Your  children  and  children's  children  will  bless  you  and 
your  memory  to  the  end  of  time.  What  is  done  must  be  done  quickly. 
It  must  be  done  before  the  5th  of  January  to  secure  the  four  hundred  and 
two  dollars  bounty. 

By  order  of  Brig.-Gen.  M.  L.  SMITH. 

J.  C.  HILL,  A.  A.  A.  G. 

General  Smith  also  publicly  promised  a  barrel  of  whiskey 
to  the  regiment  of  his  division  first  re-enlisting.  The  emu 
lative  spirit  of  the  Fifty-fifth  was  not  stirred  by  this  proffered 
prize.  Much  higher  and  truly  patriotic  considerations  were 
already  moving  the  majority  of  the  regiment;  but  most  of 
those  ready  to  serve  their  country  for  the  war  had  firmly  re- 


CAMP    AT    LARKINSVILLE.  297 

solved  that  they  would  not  bind  themselves  to  further  service 
unless  given  assurance  which  they  could  implicitly  trust  that 
they  should  be  relieved  from  the  field  officers  then  over  them. 
Lieutenant  Healey  was  appointed  regimental  recruiting 
officer,  and  enrolled  about  fifty  veterans,  who  were  sworn  in 
on  the  fifth.  Soon  after  notice  came  that  the  time  for  the 
acceptance  of  veteran  re-enlistments  had  been  again  ex 
tended. 

On  the  third  of  January  we  performed  a  novel  duty.  Two 
ladies  and  their  children  had  been  smuggled  across  the  Ten 
nessee  somewhere  in  our  vicinity,  and  were  captured  while 
on  their  way  to  Murfreesboro.  It  was  ordered  that  they 
should  be  sent  back  by  the  same  route.  The  Fifty-fifth  was 
detailed  to  escort  them  to  the  river,  and  Madame  Peebles, 
wife  of  Confederate  congressman  Peebles,  and  Mrs.  Peebles, 
wife  of  Colonel  Peebles,  with  their  two  boys  and  trunks,  were 
one  by  one  paddled  across  the  swift  Tennessee  in  a  dug-out, 
and  receipted  for  by  a  major  on  picket  duty  opposite.  This 
affair  would  have  lacked  interest  for  most  of  the  escort,  how 
ever,  but  for  the  chance  discovery  of  a  herd  of  pigs  in  the 
bottom  lands.  Whether  these  animals  belonged  to  loyal  or 
disloyal  owners  we  could  not  be  supposed  to  know;  but  upon 
their  own  merits  they  were  condemned  as  undoubted  bush 
whackers,  and  after  a  spirited  chase  the  majority  were  drawn, 
quartered,  hung  on  soldiers'  bayonets,  and  carried  to  camp. 

Three  days  later  the  Fifty-fifth  was  moved  to  Larkinsville, 
one  day  in  advance  of  the  rest  of  the  division,  to  take  charge 
of  and  preserve  the  buildings  and  barracks  left  by  the  Third 
division,  which  had  been  ordered  away.  Here  we  were  de 
tailed  as  provost-guard,  establishing  camp  again,  as  we 
imagined,  for  the  winter,  and  we  built  substantial  huts  of 
boards  and  other  lumber  picked  up  here  and  there,  adding 
mud  chimneys  and  the  other  customary  conveniences  of  a 
soldier's  home  in  the  field.  Some  snow  had  already  fallen, 
and  the  weather  was  often  bitterly  cold.  The  camp  routine 
was  not  onerous.  Guard-mount  was  held  at  nine  o'clock  in 
the  forenoon,  and  dress-parade  at  four  in  the  afternoon. 
Now  and  then  a  brigade  inspector  appeared  among  us  and 
made  his  favorable  report.  Occasionally  the  regiment  had 


298  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

to  procure  wood  for  the  railroad,  as  well  as  for  its  own  use. 
The  chaplain  built  a  little  chapel  for  Sunday  and  evening 
services,  and  by  his  fervor  and  industry  awakened  unusual 
religious  interest  in  the  camp.  Quartermaster  Capron  having 
been  detached  for  duty  at  brigade  headquarters,  as  acting 
assistant-quartermaster,  on  January  1st,  Lieutenant  Horace 
T.  Healey  became  acting  regimental  quartermaster,  which 
office  he  ably  filled  until  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service. 

January  24th  the  regiment  marched  two  miles  among  the 
mountains,  accompanied  by  the  Alabama  Cavalry,  for  the 
purpose  of  summoning  witnesses  against  alleged  bushwhack 
ers  then  in  the  hands  of  the  provost-marshal,  and  returned 
the  next  day.  On  the  twenty-sixth  Major  Heffernan  left  for 
Springfield,  Illinois,  upon  recruiting  service.  His  labors  in 
that  line  of  duty,  though  long  continued,  are  not  known  to 
have  added  a  man  to  the  ranks.  The  same  day  the  brigade 
marched,  with  ten  days'  rations,  across  the  Tennessee  River 
at  Larkin's  Landing  in  pontoons,  and  travelled  until  four 
o'clock  the  next  morning,  reaching  the  head  of  a  pass  over 
Sand  Mountain.  During  the  forenoon  the  summit  was 
reached,  and  meeting  with  neither  opposition  nor  notable 
adventure,  the  expedition  returned  to  within  three  or  four 
miles  of  the  river.  Several  of  all  ranks  in  the  brigade  be 
trayed  unmistakable  symptoms  of  being  badly  poisoned  by 
"mountain  tea,"  which  some  of  those  with  acute  instincts  for 
a  still  hunt  had  discovered  in  its  secret  retirement  on  the 
mountain.  The  pontoon  bridge  which  the  pioneer  corps 
were  engaged  in  constructing  being  yet  incomplete,  we  re- 
crossed  in  boats,  on  the  twenty-eighth,  and  encamped  at  its 
northern  end,  a  detachment  of  the  regiment  returning  to  the 
town  as  provost-guard,  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Chandler. 

January  2Qth  a  reconnoissance  in  force,  under  command 
of  General  M.  L.  Smith,  embracing  cavalry,  artillery,  and 
two  or  three  regiments  of  infantry  from  each  division  of  the 
Fifteenth  Corps,  was  made  across  the  river.  This  expedition 
proceeded  about  forty  miles  towards  the  interior  of  Alabama, 
visited  Lebanon  and  Guntersville,  effectually  scoured  the 
intermediate  country,  and  captured  numerous  Confederate 
officers  who,  with  small  squads  of  so-called  home  guards,  were 


AT    LARKIN'S    LANDING.  299 

hunting  down  and  forcing  into  service  the  male  inhabitants 
of  the  northern  counties,  most  of  whom  were  at  heart  Union 
men.  The  expedition  did  not  return  until  February  5th. 
The  Fifty-fifth  did  not  accompany  it,  being  assigned  to  the 
duty  of  guarding  the  pontoon  bridge  immediately  after  its 
completion.  But  almost  daily  companies  were  detailed  to 
cross  the  river  with  the  wagon  train  and  bring  away  what 
forage  could  be  discovered.  These  excursions  were  popular 
with  the  men,  who  usually  found  some  opportunity  for  mak 
ing  agreeable  additions  to  their  rations;  and  now  and  then 
two  or  three  of  the  more  venturesome  secretly  made  excur 
sions  independent  of  a  train  into  the  mountain  wilds,  where 
they  sometimes  narrowly  escaped  capture,  and  met  with 
many  interesting  adventures.  February  i6th  the  regiment 
was  gladdened  by  the  coming  of  Paymaster  Newcomen.  On 
the  twenty-fifth  the  detachment  at  the  village  was  relieved 
from  provost  duty,  and  the  whole  regiment  took  post  at  the 
bridge,  the  five  companies,  A,  F,  G,  H  and  I,  being  stationed, 
under  command  of  Captain  Augustine,  in  the  tete  de  pont  on. 
the  south  side  of  the  river,  relieving  a  detachment  of  the 
One-hundred-sixteenth  Illinois.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Chand 
ler  remained  with  the  other  companies  on  the  north  side,  in 
support  of  the  battery. 

Meetings  were  frequently  held  in  the  evening  for  the  pur 
pose  of  trying  to  induce  the  men  to  re-enlist,  but  there 
seemed  little  hope  that  the  regiment  would  retain  its  name 
as  a  veteran  organization.  By  the  first  of  February  between 
fifty  and  sixty  only  had  been  enrolled,  less  than  one-third  of 
the  number  required  under  the  provisions  of  General  Order 
376  of  the  War  Department,  to  entitle  the  command  to  fur 
lough  as  a  veteran  regiment.  There  was  obviously  some 
undercurrent  of  feeling  that  restrained  a  majority  from 
binding  themselves,  although  they  fully  recognized  and  ac 
knowledged  their  patriotic  duty  and  the  generosity  of  the 
government's  bounty.  Early  in  the  month  there  appeared 
among  the  line  officers  a  document  inspired  by  the  chaplain, 
but  in  accord  with  a  popular  sentiment  in  the  regiment.  In 
the  patriotic  fervor  of  the  time  it  was  signed  without  demur 
by  nearly  every  officer  present.  It  proffered  to  the  veterans 


300  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

the  extraordinary  pledge  that,  if  enough  would  re-enlist  to 
retain  the  regimental  organization,  they  should  have  the 
privilege  of  electing  their  commissioned  and  non-commis 
sioned  officers,  from  colonel  to  corporals.  Yet  this  assurance, 
attested  by  the  signatures  of  all  the  company  officers,  and, 
verbally  at  least,  endorsed  in  much  higher  quarters,  carried 
little  force.  Reasoning  upon  past  experience,  the  shrewder 
minds  warned  their  comrades  to  beware  of  a  promise  lacking 
the  highest  official  sanction  —  any  promise  which,  though 
satisfactory  to  the  ear,  could  readily  escape  fulfillment  or  find 
excuse  for  long  delay,  when  the  enlisted  were  bound  beyond 
chance  of  withdrawal  from  their  part  of  the  contract. 

March  1st  a  reconnoissance,  commanded  by  General  Giles 
A.  Smith,  was  made  over  Sand  Mountain  by  the  Fifty-fifth, 
accompanied  by  the  Eighth  Missouri  mounted  and  two  com 
panies  of  the  Fifteenth  Michigan.  A  march  of  twelve  miles 
was  rewarded  by  the  capture  of  a  few  home  guards,  and  some 
forage  was  collected.  Soon  after,  information  was  brought 
to  General  Logan  that  the  Confederates  designed  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  bridge,  and  constant  vigilance,  especially  at  night, 
was  enjoined;  but  no  hostile  attempt  was  made,  rather  to  our 
disappointment  after  ample  precautions  had  been  taken. 
March  2ist  we  were  surprised  by  a  fall  of  six  inches  of  snow 
during  the  night,  an  almost  unprecedented  amount  for  that 
region,  as  the  older  residents  assured  us. 

During  daylight  the  exuberant  spirits  of  the  regiment 
sought  more  or  less  successfully  to  beguile  the  weary  hours 
with  sportive  tricks,  athletic  exercises,  and  games  new  and 
old.  Some  busied  themselves  with  carving  pipes  from  briar 
and  laurel  roots,  covering  them  with  elaborate  decoration; 
while  others  wrought  rings  from  pearly  mussel-shells.  Cock 
fights  were  largely  patronized  by  a  few,  and  pet  birds  were 
guarded  with  zealous  care  and  systematically  trained  for  the 
matches.  By  necessity  such  occupations  and  amusements 
were  enjoyed  within  camp  lines;  but  when  the  stars  began  to 
glimmer  brightly  over  the  mountain  tops,  and  roll-calls  were 
over,  a  secret  exodus  from  company  quarters  often  took  place, 
and  humanity's  great  problem — how  to  chase  dull  care  away 
—  found  pleasant  solution  sometimes  far  outside  even  the 


THE    FLAT-ROCK    DANCES.  3O1 

picket  lines.  The  region  about  us  though  thinly  inhabited 
was  peopled  by  a  race  disposed  to  stand  by  the  old  flag,  and, 
save  the  men  drafted  into  the  rebel  army  and  a  few  volun 
teers  in  our  own,  the  families  all  remained  at  their  homes. 
The  females  far  outnumbered  the  males.  It  was  not  long 
before  the  brave  boys  of  the  Fifty-fifth  had  ingratiated  them 
selves  with  the  lorn  damsels,  and  frequent  social  parties 
followed,  where  the  beaux,  all  in  army  blue,  furnished  the 
music  and  the  commissary  stores,  and  the  belles  in  costumes 
of  their  own  weaving  and  shaping,  gave  grace  and  some 
wholesome  restraint  to  the  rustic  ball.  Hilarity  reigned  su 
preme  on  such  occasions,  and  chance  lack  of  cultured  manner 
was  held  of  small  account  weighed  against  native  amenity 
and  jovial  activity.  The  popular  dance  of  the  locality  had 
few  changes.  It  was  known  as  "the  Alabama  flat-rock,"  and 
differed  little  from  the  genuine  "break-down."  Care  was 
taken  not  to  give  too  general  notice  of  these  entertainments, 
for  there  was  great  danger  that  the  self-invited  guests  would 
be  too  many  for  the  house  to  hold,  and  the  dance  find  indefi 
nite  postponement  for  lack  of  floor  room  and  superabundance 
of  floor  managers.  The  popular  musicians  of  these  assem 
blies  were  J.  G.  Brown,  M.  M.  Potter  and  Joseph  Presson  of 
the  Fifty-fifth.  Principal-Musician  Brown  had  also  a  talent 
for  versification,  and  wrote  the  songs  of  the  regiment.  A 
rallying  song  for  the  veterans  by  him,  set  to  the  tune  of 
"The  Bonnie  Blue  Flag,"  will  be  remembered  by  many. 
Truly  republican  principles  governed  entertainers  and  guests; 
corporals'  stripes  often  took  precedence  of  shoulder-straps. 
Several  of  the  officers  of  the  brigade  having  planned  a  select 
party,  on  the  appointed  night  proceeded  to  the  rendezvous; 
but  on  drawing  near  the  proposed  ball-room,  they  not  only 
met  the  resplendent  glare  of  the  usual  tallow-candle  illumi 
nation,  but  the  sound  of  exhilarating  music  and  the  shuffling 
of  sympathetic  feet  struck  their  astonished  ears.  The  boys 
had  got  wind  of  the  festivities  intended  to  be  so  exclusive, 
and  beaten  the  shoulder-strapped  soldiers  at  strategy,  much 
to  the  disgust  of  the  latter.  The  midnight  roll-calls  there 
upon  ordered  for  a  few  nights  were  supposed  to  have  restored 
discipline  in  camp;  but  strange  to  say  the  usual  guests  trod 


302  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

the  same  measures  at  the  regular  cottage  dances  without  ap 
pearing  in  the  reports  as  absent  from  roll-call. 

Susceptible  as  well  as  gallant,  it  was  inevitable  that  some 
of  the  young  warriors  should  lose  their  hearts  to  the  frank 
and  fair  maids  of  the  mountains,  and  the  chaplain  was  called 
upon  occasionally  to  seal  the  bond  of  union  made  by  some 
infatuated  couple.  Alas!  in  the  spring  when  the  army 
marched  upon  the  Atlanta  campaign,  sundry  weeping  wives 
reluctantly  parted  from  newly-made  husbands.  But  one  of 
these  husbands  belonged  to  the  Fifty-fifth,  and  he,  it  is  pre 
sumed,  returned  to  cheer  his  loyal  Southern  spouse  after  the 
cruel  war  was  over. 

There  was  some  sickness  among  us  at  Larkinsville,  chiefly 
fever,  and  four  men  fell  victims  to  disease:  Sergeants  Edward 
Bridge  and  E.  D.  Huntington,  George  Putnam  and  Joseph  F. 
Bragg.  Orderly-sergeant  Huntington  was  a  man  of  very 
bright  intellect,  and  would  soon  have  received  deserved  pro 
motion.  Both  he  and  Bridge  were  genial,  brave  soldiers, 
whose  loss  was  much  lamented  by  comrades. 

Over  the  frail  bridge  of  boats  which  we  were  appointed 
to  protect,  daily  streamed  a  forlorn  line  of  Alabamians,  fleeing 
conscription  or  oppression,  and  bearing  with  them  such  of 
their  household  gear  as  they  could  drag  over  the  mountain 
roads.  From  over  fifty  miles  away  they  came  to  this  cross 
ing  as  to  the  threshold  of  freedom,  a  motley  procession  es 
caping  the  tyranny  of  the  Secession  oligarchy.  War-made 
widows  with  a  never-dropping  tear  clinging  to  either  eye, 
accompanied  by  half  a  score  of  gaunt,  hungry-faced  children 
passed,  carrying  a  little  bedding  on  the  backs  of  a  pair  of 
ancient  plough  mules.  An  old  man  perhaps  came  next,  with 
a  rickety  cart  crammed  with  feather  beds  and  crowned  with  a 
spinning-wheel;  five  or  six  grown  daughters  following  close 
behind,  who  beguiled  their  weary  walk  with  periodical  "dips" 
into  the  pouch  of  yellow  snuff  which  each  carried.  They 
had  left  "right  smart  uv  a  farm,"  "a  good  home,"  because  the 
obstinate  grey-bearded  father  believed  in  the  old  Constitution 
in  spite  of  all  its  "glittering  generalities,"  and  therefore  could 
not  long  hope  for  exemption  from  insult  or  worse  in  the 
inflammable  neighborhood  of  the  home  guards.  Next  would 


AT    LARKIN'S    LANDING.  303 

appear,  perhaps,  a  squad  of  deserters  with  bearing  as  unsol- 
dierly  as  a  group  of  young  men  could  have,  expressing  with 
noisy  oath  and  joke  their  joy  at  getting  safely  into  the  arms 
of  Uncle  Sam.  More  than  once  an  escaped  Union  prisoner 
reached  us  to  be  feasted  with  army  rations  and  questioned 
into  a  fever  by  the  whole  camp.  Colored  waifs  were  ex 
tremely  rare,  for  this  was  no  slave  district.  The  mountains 
are  too  broad  and  the  valleys  too  narrow  for  man  to  profit 
much  by  the  use  of  compelled  labor. 

During  March  the  river  suddenly  rose  threatening  to 
over-pass  its  banks,  and  picking  up  here  and  there  a  log  or 
fallen  tree  above,  hurled  them  down  against  our  bridge. 
Like  a  willow  wand  it  swayed  to  and  fro  under  these  blows, 
but  did  not  break;  yet  it  required  all  our  energies  night 
and  day  to  keep  it  from  dragging  loose  from  its  anchorage. 
At  this  period  there  could  be  no  passing  and  the  constant 
stream  of  refugees  being  therefore  dammed  up,  formed  just 
outside  our  intrenchments  a  little  lake  of  women,  children, 
male  "white  trash,"  ox  wagons,  superannuated  horses  and 
mules,  bedding,  spinning-wheels  and  other  "plunder." 
Mountain  maidens  in  homespun  dress  of  linsey,  black  stock 
ings,  an'd  huge  sun-bonnets,  were  abundant,  and  the  boys  did 
not  neglect  the  opportunity  to  bask  in  the  gracious  light  of 
female  presence.  Their  own  conspicuous  manliness  was 
sufficient  to  win  favor  in  the  eyes  of  the  fair  ones,  but  when 
to  this  was  added  the  possession  of  unlimited  stores  of  coffee 
and  tobacco,  what  Sand-Mountain  lass  could  be  relentlessly 
coy? 

The  tales  of  suffering  and  wrong,  of  shootings,  burnings, 
hangings,  thievery,  and  chivalric  knavery  of  every  descrip 
tion,  that  these  visitors  of  ours  told  us,  often  stirred  our 
Northern  blood  to  boiling.  The  outrages  upon  the  colored 
race  in  the  western  part  of  the  Confederacy  found  a  parallel 
in  the  cruel  treatment  of  the  Unionists  of  North  Alabama 
and  East  Tennessee.  The  First  Alabama  Cavalry  attached 
to  our  division  had  little  difficulty  in  obtaining  recruits 
from  the  refugees  that  came  in  from  Sand  Mountain.  The 
infantry  service  presented  far  less  attractions  to  these  men. 
To  belong  to  "a  critter  company"  suited  their  taste  and  sat- 


3<H  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

isfied  their  peculiar  pride.  "We'uns  air  yoused  ter  critters," 
was  their  way  of  explaining  their  preference. 

During  March  our  neighbors,  the  Fifty-fourth  and  Fifty- 
seventh  Ohio,  going  home  upon  veteran  furlough,  seventy- 
one  non-veterans  of  these  regiments  were  temporarily  assigned 
for  duty  with  the  Fifty-fifth.  Sunday,  March  2^th,  Generals 
Sherman,  McPherson,  Logan,  and  a  few  lesser  stars,  visited 
our  camp  unexpectedly.  A  salute  of  thirteen  guns  was  fired 
from  the  twenty-pounder  Parrott  rifles  on  the  hill  in  their 
honor.  General  Sherman  after  a  brief  inspection  trotted 
away,  leaving  a  message  in  which  he  expressed  the  hope  that 
the  regiment  would  re-enlist.  After  his  departure  General 
M.  L.  Smith  got  the  men  together  across  the  river  to  deliver 
the  message.  He  perched  himself  in  a  lounging  attitude  on 
the  earth-works  and  opened  an  informal  talk  after  his  easy 
fashion,  in  which  he  gave  the  men  to  understand  that  Gener 
als  Logan  and  Sherman  consented  that  they  should,  if  they 
would  continue  in  the  service,  have  their  choice  of  field  offi 
cers,  even  if  they  selected  some  one  from  outside  the  regiment 
to  command  them.  Finally,  in  finishing  what  he  had  to  say,  he 
gave  the  order  for  all  to  fall  back  to  the  rear  who  would  not 
re-enlist.  Promptly  at  the  word  the  whole  crowd"  moved 
back.  The  patriots  were  biding  their  time. 

Discouragements  manifold  had  driven  a  majority  of  the 
chaplains  from  the  armies  in  the  field.  The  peculiar  combi 
nation  of  physical  energy,  moral  courage,  intellectual  force, 
broad  sympathy,  and  tenderness  of  heart,  which  are  requisite 
to  qualify  the  regimental  chaplain  for  any  great  usefulness  in 
actual  campaign  life,  is  more  rarely  met  with  than  the  gal 
lantry  and  magnetic  power  which  mark  a  military  leader  of 
men.  The  Fifty-fifth  was  fortunate  in  possessing  a  chaplain 
who  never  dreamt  that  his  office  could  be  made  a  sinecure, 
or  that  he  had  fully  earned  his  stipend  by  a  weekly  discourse 
to  the  living  and  prayers  over  the  dead.  Attendance  upon 
religious  exercises  in  the  field  was  very  frequently  classed  by 
the  irreverent  boys  with  "  fatigue  duty."  It  was  not  so  where 
he  presided.  He  was  not  invisible  on  the  day  of  battle.  On 
the  hard  march  the  footsore  private  was  often  seen  upon  his 
horse;  or  when  he  himself  rode,  his  saddle  was  hung  before 


VOTING    FOR    PRESIDENT.  3°S 

and  behind  with  knapsacks  of  the  weak  or  weary.  In  the 
hospital,  save  the  kindly  and  tireless  surgeon,  no  one  was 
oftener  beside  the  cots  of  the  pale  sufferers;  no  hand  grasp 
was  warmer,  more  welcome,  more  full  of  comfort  than  his. 
Recording  their  recognition  of  and  respect  for  such  rare 
service,  the  men  and  officers  of  the  regiment  at  this  time 
joined  in  contributing  to  a  fund  for  the  purchase  of  a  library 
of  choice  literature,  to  be  given  Chaplain  Milton  L.  Haney. 
The  books  were  selected  and  presented  by  a  special  commit 
tee,  after  the  arrival  of  the  veterans  in  Chicago. 

March  30th  the  regiment  was  informally  canvassed  to 
ascertain  the  soldiers'  choice  among  the  presidential  candi 
dates.  The  following  letter  tells  the  result : 

LARKIN'S  LANDING,  ALA.,  April  6,  1864. 
EDITORS  CHICAGO  TRIBUNE  :— 

Thinking  you  may  take  some  interest  in  knowing  that  the 
soldiers  in  this  section  who  read  the  Tribune  in  preference  to  all  other 
newspapers  when  they  can  obtain  it,  coincide  with  you  in  their  estimate 
of  the  importance  at  this  juncture  of  retaining  the  present  executive 
during  another  term  of  service,  I  send  you  the  result  of  a  balloting  held 
in  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  March  3oth,  to  express 
preferences  for  President : 

For  Richard  Yates I 

For  Salmon  P.  Chase I 

For  Maj.-Gen.  B.  F.  Butler 7 

For  Lieut.-Gen.  U.  S.  Grant • 9 

For  Maj.-Gen.  Geo.  B.  McClellan 14 

For  Abraham  Lincoln 276 


Total  number  of  votes  cast 308 

*        *        *        *         ********* 

I  remain,  yours  truly, 

C.  M.  BROWNE,  Capt.  $5th  III.   Vol.  Inft. 

March  3ist  Colonel  Malmborg  with  his  ten  associates  re 
turned  from  the  North,  having  been  for  three  months  absent 
on  recruiting  service.  Their  combined  efforts  had  won  but 
meagre  results.  One  of  the  party  when  rallied  upon  his 
success  in  adding  a  single  recruit  to  his  company,  rejoined: 
"I  told  the  fellow  he  was  a  fool  to  enlist,  but  he  wouldn't 
take  my  word  for  it."  Two  days  later  the  colonel  called  the 
regiment  together,  and  read  to  them  a  letter  from  Adjutant- 
20 


306  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS    INFANTRY. 

General  Fuller,  urging  re-enlistment.  This  reading  he  fol 
lowed  by  a  speech,  in  which  he  disclaimed  all  personal 
ambition,  and  gave  his  official  guaranty  that  the  veterans 
should  have  a  fair  election.  He  added  that  he  would  not 
serve  unless  two-thirds  of  the  veterans  desired  him  for  their 
commander.  This  promise  awakened  some  enthusiasm, 
but  all  verbal  persuasions,  while  respectfully  listened  to, 
availed  nothing  towards  accomplishing  the  hoped  for  result 
until  supplemented  by  record  of  the  following  regimental 
order: 

HEADQUARTERS  $STH  REGT.  ILLS.  INFTY.,  > 

LARKIN'S  LANDING,  ALA.,  April  4,  1864.  > 
Regimental  Order  No.  22. 

I.  Inasmuch  as  doubt  still  exists  in  the  minds  of  some  of  this  com 
mand  as  to  whether  they  will  be  allowed  an  election  of  officers  in  case 
the    Regt.    re-enlists   as   a   veteran    organization,    notwithstanding   the 
verbal  assurance  already  given  to  that  effect;   and  in  order  to  remove 
any  remaining  doubt  on  the  part  of  those  who  either  have  already  re-en 
listed    or    may    hereafter    re-enlist,    the    commanding    officer    of    the 
Regiment  hereby  pledges  himself  officially  that  a  fair  and  impartial 
election  of  officers  for  the  veteran  organization  shall  be  held. 

II.  As  soon  as  the  required  number  of  veterans  are  sworn  in,  the 
commanding  officer  will  at  once  issue  an  order  for  the  election  of  all 
commissioned  officers  in  the  regiment,  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest; 
and  he  would  call  the  attention  of  all  commissioned  officers  in  the  regi 
ment  to  the  fact  that  the  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates  are  the 
only  legal  voters  in  the  coming  election,  and  that  we  all  as  commissioned 
officers  are  in  duty  bound  not  to  interfere  either  directly  or  indirectly  with 
the  full  and  free  exercise  of  their  privilege. 

By  order  of 

O.  MALMBORG,  Col.  Comd'g  Regt. 
F.  P.  FISHER,  Adjutant. 

After  the  proper  publicity  had  been  given  to  this  extraor 
dinary  and  unmilitary  concession,  for  which  alone  they  had 
been  waiting,  the  men  began  at  once  to  signify  their  readiness 
to  re-enlist,  and  more  than  the  number  requisite  by  the  order 
of  the  War  Department  to  entitle  the  regiment  to  receive 
thirty  days'  furlough  in  Illinois  as  a  veteran-volunteer  organ 
ization,  were  speedily  enrolled  and  sworn  into  the  United 
States  service.  Two  hundred  and  twenty-two  of  the  two 
hundred  and  seventy-two  eligible  were  thus  accepted  for 
three  years  or  during  the  war,  distributed  among  the  com 
panies  as  follows: 


VETERAN    RE-ORGANIZATION.  3°7 

Company  A,  19.  Company  E,  24.  Company  I,  33. 

B,  19.  "          F,  16.                    "         K,  21. 

"          C,  23.  "         G,  36.  Non-commissioned 

D,  16,  "          H,  12.                         Staff,  3. 

A  second  order  was  issued  by  the  colonel,  prescribing 
rules  for  the  conduct  of  the  promised  election  and  appoint 
ing  three  officers  of  his  own  selection  to  serve  as  a  board  of 
judges  to  preside  over  it.  To  this  order  the  veterans  sturdily 
objected.  Sergeant  Charles  T.  Beers  especially  incurred  the 
colonel's  displeasure  by  his  outspoken  assertion  of  the  pop 
ular  feeling,  that  the  veteran  volunteers  were  competent  to 
manage  their  own  affairs,  and  that  this  second  order  was  in 
contempt  of  the  last  clause  of  the  previous  order.  The 
matter  ended  by  the  surrender  of  the  whole  business  to  the 
enlisted  men.  There  seemed  to  be  a  very  decided  unanimity 
of  feeling  among  them  about  the  chief  question  to  be  voted 
upon;  while  among  the  commissioned  officers  there  was  a 
majority  party  nicknamed  the  Church  and  State,  and  a 
minority  party  styled  the  Council  of  Kent.  The  result  of 
the  election,  which  was  held  April  6th,  the  anniversary  of  the 
battle  of  Shiloh,  when  the  first  blood  of  the  regiment  was 
shed  by  rebels,  is  given  in  the  following  election  certificate: 

CAMP  OF  THE  55TH  REGT.  ILL.  VOL.  INFTY.,  > 
LARKIN'S  LANDING,  ALA.,  April  6,  1864.      ) 
Hon.  ALLEN  C.  FULLER,  Adjt.-Gen. 

SIR  :  At  an  election  held  at  Larkin's  Landing,  Ala.,  on  the  6th 
day  of  April,  1864,  by  the  Veteran  Volunteers  of  the  55th  Regt.  111.  Infty., 
in  accordance  with  Regimental  Order  No.  22  (enclosed),  for  the  purpose 
of  electing  the  field  officers  of  the  55th  Regt.  111.  Veteran  Volunteer  Infty., 
the  following  votes  were  cast,  viz : 

For  Colonel Chaplain  Milton  L.  Haney 164 

Colonel  Oscar  Malmborg 22 

For  Lieut.-Colonel .  .Captain  Jacob  M.  Augustine 160 

Captain  Francis  H.  Shaw 16 

Captain  William  C.  Porter 13 

Adjutant  Francis  P.  Fisher 2 

Lt.-Colonel  Theodore  C.  Chandler..       I 

Captain  Charles  A.  Andress I 

For  Major. Captain  Francis  H.  Shaw 122 

Captain  Charles  A.  Andress 27 

Captain  William  C.  Porter 26 

Captain  H.  H.  Kendrick 9 

Captain  John  T.  McAuley 5 


308  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

Chaplain  Milton  L.  Haney  was  declared  duly  elected  Colonel. 
Captain  Jacob  M.  Augustine  was  declared  duly  elected  Lieutenant- 
Colonel. 

Captain  Francis  H.  Shaw  was  declared  duly  elected  Major. 
We,  the  undersigned  Board  of  Election,  do  hereby  certify  upon  honor 
that  the  above  statement  is  true  and  correct. 

s  JOHN  B.  RIDENOUR,  Sergt.  Co.  A. 
Judges,  j  JAMES  W.  KAYS,  Sergt.  Co.  K. 

(  J.  G.  BROWN,  Principal-Musician. 
J.  AUGUST  SMITH,  Sergt. -M a  j.,  Clerk  of  Election. 

Upon  arrival  of  the  veterans  in  Chicago  the  following  let 
ter  was  drawn  up  and  duly  forwarded,  but  never  honored 
with  reply : 

CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS,  April  23,  1864. 
To  the  Hon.  RICHARD  YATES, 

Governor  of  the  State  of  Illinois. 

The  undersigned,  Board  of  Election  for  Field  Officers  of  55th  Regt. 
111.  Vet.  Vol.  Infty.,  respectfully  beg  leave  to  present  to  your  Excellency  a 
statement  of  facts  combined  with  an  earnest  request,  which  we  hope  will 
be  favorably  considered  and  acted  upon. 

The  reason  our  regiment  delayed  so  long  in  responding  to  the  call  for 
veterans  was  a  deep  dissatisfaction  with  some  of  the  field  officers;  and  it 
was  not  re-enlisted  until,  from  Major-General  Sherman  down  to  the  com 
pany  officers,  all  had  promised  that  we  should  have  our  own  choice  of 
officers,  provided  the  required  three-fourths  should  be  re-enlisted.  With 
this  assurance  we  have  cheerfully  given  ourselves  to  our  country  for  three 
years  more;  and  now  we  desire  to  fill  our  vacant  ranks  during  our  short 
stay  at  home.  This  we  cannot  do  so  long  as  doubt  remains  as  to  whether 
our  action  in  electing  officers  (a  report  of  which  has  been  forwarded  to 
Adjutant-General  Fuller)  will  be  recognized  by  you.  Believing  that  a 
knowledge  of  your  co-operation  is  absolutely  necessary  to  the  securing 
of  recruits  by  the  men,  we  therefore  earnestly  request  that  the  officers 
elected  be  immediately  commissioned,  or  that  some  assurance  to  that 
effect  be  given  to  the  men  of  the  regiment. 

(  J.  B.  RIDENOUR,  First-sergt.  Co.  A. 
Judges  of  Election.  \  JOHN  G.  BROWN,  Principal-Musician. 

(  JAMES  W.  KAYS,  Sergt.  Co.  K. 
Clerk  of  Election,  J.  AUGUST  SMITH,  Sergt.-Major. 

It  was  known  by  many  that  our  first  major,  W.  D.  Sanger, 
who  came  into  the  neighborhood  and  conferred  with  some  of 
the  officers,  would  have  been  more  than  willing  to  become  a 
candidate  for  the  command  of  the  regiment.  If  his  claims 
were  openly  urged  by  any  one,  no  record  of  the  fact  is  found. 


VETERAN    RE-ORGANIZATION.  3°9 

The  field  officers  elected  were  the  three  senior  captains  in 
regular  order,  Haney  having  been  a  captain  when  made  chap 
lain.  The  company  elections  were  held  during  the  afternoon 
of  the  same  day.  The  existing  company  officers  were  in 
nearly  every  case  re-elected,  if  actually  in  service  with  their 
companies;  and  of  the  very  few  not  so  chosen  it  was  fully 
understood  that  some  desired  an  early  opportunity  of  leaving 
the  service.  The  election  of  the  commissioned  and  non 
commissioned  staff  resulted  in  the  choice  of  the  following: 

For  Surgeon  —  Dr.  E.  O.  F.  ROLER.  re-elected  by  an  unanimous  vote. 

11  Assistant-Surgeon  — Dr.  JOHN  T.  SMITH,  re-elected. 

"  Adjutant — J.  AUGUST  SMITH,  sergeant-major. 

"  Quartermaster — CHARLES  T.  BEERS,  ordnance-sergeant. 

"  Chaplain  —  C.  SPRINGER,  civilian. 

"  Sergeant-major — JOHN  G.  BROWN,  principal-musician. 

"  Quartermaster-sergeant  —  MILTON  M.  POTTER,  musician. 

"  Commissary-sergeant  —  WILLIAM  J.  ECKLEY,  sergeant. 

"  Hospital  Steward  — J.  LEROY  BURNSIDES,  musician. 

It  is,  perhaps,  only  just  that  Colonel  Malmborg's  criticisms 
of  the  action  of  the  regiment,  following  close  upon  his 
regimental  order  and  public  promises  to  the  volunteers, 
should  be  here  incorporated  with  the  record;  especially  as 
he  made  a  somewhat  lengthy  official  report,  dated  four  days 
after  the  election,  which  is  preserved  in  the  public  archives 
of  Illinois. 

HEADQUARTERS  SSTH  ILL.  INFANTRY,  ) 

LARKIN'S  LANDING,  ALA.,  April  10,  1864.  ) 
Hon.  ALLEN  C.  FULLER,  Adjutant-General. 

Springfield,  111. 

GENERAL  :  I  have  the  honor  and  the  pleasure  to  report  to  you  that 
the  5$th  have  re-enlisted — some  twenty  men  over  and  above  the  requisite 
three-fourths  of  the  total  present  for  duty.  I  telegraphed  to  you  this 
morning  from  Larkinsville. 

I  reached  the  camp  of  my  regiment  on  the  3ist  ult.,  and  with  but  little 
hope  of  succeeding  to  veteranize  the  regiment  after  I  had  learned  from 
General  M.  L.  Smith  at  Larkinsville  that  he  and  other  generals  had  given 
up  all  hopes,  having  failed  in  their  combined  efforts.  I  went  to  work, 
however,  and  the  same  morning  of  my  first  speech  to  the  regiment,  I  en 
listed  68  men.  The  next  day  others  were  added  to  this  number,  but  I 
soon  noticed  that  Companies  A,  H  and  F  held  back;  they,  especially  the 
first  and  last  named,  being  composed  mainly  of  old  and  intolerant  meth- 
odists,  with  our  "  rev'd  "  chaplain  at  their  head  —  intimately  acquainted 


310  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

previous  to  their  entering  into  military  service,  and  since  then  always 
known  as  the  "  scheming  hypocritic  methodists." 

But  the  tide  was  fast  rising,  so  they  had  to  go  to  save  themselves. 
Thus  the  good  work  went  on,  but  while  I  was  busied,  faithfully  assisted 
by  many  officers  and  men,  to  secure  the  requisite  number  of  veterans 
that  our  country  might  be  saved  and  the  history  of  this  efficient  regiment 
completed  and  perpetuated,  our  methodist  brethren  were  also  busied  at 
work  indeed,  but  for  their  own  individual  interest. 

Thus  under  the  cloak  of  religion  and  by  promises  of  promotion  did 
they  succeed  to  induce,  or  I  should  say  seduce,  good  and  patriotic  men  to 
aid  in  ruining,  if  not  the  glorious  reputation  this  regiment  has  earned, 
certainly  its  future  prospects  of  efficiency,  by  securing  for  themselves 
positions  which  they  are  totally  incapable  of  filling,  as  the  subsequent 
result  of  the  elections  will  abundantly  show.  By  the  election  which  took 
place  on  the  6th  and  yth  inst.,  on  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Shiloh, 
were  not  only  the  adjutant,  quartermaster,  four  captains  and  two  first- 
lieutenants  thrown  out,  and  the  chaplain,  entirely  ignorant  in  military 
affairs,  elected  colonel,  Capt.  Augustine  lieutenant-colonel,  Capt.  Shaw 
major,  and  worthless  lieutenants  and  non-commissioned  officers  elected 
captains  and  lieutenants.  A  man  hardly  able  to  write  his  name  has  been 
elected  quartermaster.  Even  to  the  non-commissioned  officers  has  the 
ridiculous  transaction  extended.  I  shall  now  only  name  Sergt.  Gay,  color- 
bearer,  one  of  the  bravest  and  best  men  in  the  regiment,  who  when 
wounded  at  Vicksburg  refused  to  give  up  that  glorious  flag  he  so  nobly 
bore  to  victory.  (Three  of  the  captains  ousted  have  been  seriously 
wounded  in  battle,  have  earned  their  promotions  from  the  ranks,  and  are 
among  the  most  efficient  officers  the  regiment  ever  had.)  To  the  tools  of 
these  unprincipled  schemers  have  as  a  matter  of  course  the  vacated  posi 
tions  been  tendered,  Unscrupulous  and  deceitful  indeed,  for  by  honor 
able  means  could  these  men  never  have  been  prevailed  upon  to  act  thus, 
yet  fearing,  on  the  eve  of  the  election,  that  their  secret  plans  might  fail, 
the  chaplain,  it  has  been  proven,  was  discovered  openly  begging  votes 
among  the  men  for  himself.  Thus  either  by  open  or  secret  means  did  he 
succeed  to  ingratiate  himself  among  the  men  in  eight  companies,  who 
did  not  only  oust  the  field  but  their  own  company  officers  in  order  to  give 
room  for  the  tools  of  the  religious  and  patriotic  hypocrites.  But  all  their 
efforts  failed  in  Companies  E  and  I,  and  as  a  matter  of  course  these  two 
companies  retained  their  officers,  and  also  voted  to  a  man  for  me.  I 
might  say  something,  too,  regarding  the  election  itself,  but  I  forbear  at 
present.  The  whole  thing  is  regarded  by  every  man  in  this  corps,  from 
the  drummer  boy  to  the  commanding  general,  as  a  ridiculous  farce. 

Said  Gen.  Logan,  Corps  commander,  to  me,  "We  have  been  accustomed 
to  look  upon  the  55th  as  the  best  regiment  in  the  army,  and  how  shall  I 

express  my  astonishment  to  find  they  are  after  all  but  a  set  of  d fools! 

Electing  a  chaplain,  a  civilian,  a  know-nothing  for  their  colonel !  Are 
they  prepared  to  go  into  battle  under  such  a  man?  Do  you  suppose  that 
I,  now  on  the  eve  of  the  most  important  campaign  of  the  war,  am  going 


THE    COLONEL'S    SPITEFUL    LETTER.  3" 

to  send  that  regiment  into  battle  under  that  man?  Do  you  suppose  the 
Governor  and  Adjutant-General  of  Illinois  will  commission  him?"  etc.  I 
answered  that  the  men  of  the  55th  were  not  only  brave,  but  good  men; 
but  that  they  had  been  trifled  with  and  most  shamefully  misled;  giving 
various  details  which  time  now  prevents  me  from  repeating,  and  that 
Governor  Yates  and  General  Fuller  will  do  in  this  as  in  all  previous  cases, 
act  with  justice  and  in  the  true  interest  of  the  service;  but  that  whatever 
may  be  the  result,  neither  I  myself  nor  any  one  of  the  officers  present 
who  have  thus  been  ousted,  neither  will  nor  can  serve  in  the  regiment 
any  longer  than  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  acceptance  of  our  resig 
nations,  which  as  is  intimated  to  me  by  Generals  Smith  and  Logan,  can 
not  take  place  until  our  return  with  the  regiment  from  Illinois.  As  to 
myself,  it  is  also  intimated  that  they  do  not  want  me  to  leave  the  service, 
but  intend  to  have  me  assigned  to  other  duty  in  the  field,  to  which  I  shall 
have  no  objection.  We  shall  in  all  probability  be  ready  to  leave  for  Illi 
nois  as  early  as  the  I4th  inst.,  and  at  Nashville  take  boat  for  Cairo. 
From  Nashville  I  shall  again  telegraph  to  you. 

It  is  our  wish,  if  it  should  meet  your  approval,  that  we  rendezvous  at 
Chicago,  when  I  hope  we  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  and  hearing 
you  and  the  Governor.  I  hope  also,  for  the  sake  of  the  regiment,  you 
will  be  so  good  and  do  all  you  can  for  the  reception  of  the  old  55th.  I 
am  thankful  to  God  that  I  have  been  able  to  succeed  in  securing  its  serv 
ices  to  our  country  to  the  end  of  this  accursed  rebellion.  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  being  highly  complimented  on  that  account,  both  by  Gens. 
Logan  and  Smith.  Please  also,  General,  to  say  little  or  rather  nothing 
about  the  ridiculous  result  of  the  election,  for  the  sake  of  the  regiment, 
which  I  never  can  cease  to  love  as  long  as  I  live. 

I  must  now  beg  you,  General,  to  excuse  this  hasty  letter,  for  I  am  very 
busied  with  muster-rolls,  etc.,  and  constantly  interrupted. 
I  have  the  honor  to  remain,  General, 

Very  respectfully,  your  obed't  serv't, 

O.  MALMBORG,  Col.tfth  III.  Infty. 

Now  that  all-healing  time  has  righted  many  wrongs  and 
covered  in  oblivion  most  of  those  that  have  not  been  re 
dressed,  little  commentary  need  be  offered  to  such  a  tissue 
of  wild  misstatements  and  assumptions,  or  to  the  charges  so 
harshly  made  against  the  good  sense  of  the  veterans  of  the 
regiment  and  the  character  of  its  officers  elect.  The  Fifty- 
fifth  Illinois  Veteran  Volunteers,  as  will  be  shown  in  subse 
quent  pages,  won  abundant  honors  in  the  battles  of  Kenesaw, 
Atlanta,  Ezra  Church,  Jonesborough  and  Bentonville. 

The  brave  sergeant  elected  quartermaster,  who  is  revenge 
fully  represented  as  "hardly  able  to  write  his  name,"  was  not 


FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

a  clerk;  but  he  had  acted  as  regimental  ordnance-sergeant, 
was  an  energetic  man  of  business,  and  finally  gave  his  life  for 
his  country  with  his  face  to  the  foe. 

The  statement  that  Companies  E  and  I  "voted  to  a  man" 
for  retaining  the  colonel  is  sufficiently  answered  by  the  rec 
ord.  While  but  twenty-two  votes  were  in  all  cast  for  him, 
Company  E  had  twenty-four  and  Company  I  thirty-three 
votes  to  cast — ten  more  than  the  combined  vote  of  the  slan 
dered  Companies  A,  F  and  H.  The  colonel's  search  for 
"hypocrites"  was  therefore,  it  is  evident,  too  restricted  in  its 
field,  and  his  implicit  confidence  in  the  subserviency  to  him 
of  all  our  brave  comrades  of  Teutonic  race  was  but  blind 
self-deception. 

If  General  Logan  was  capable  of  using  the  language 
ascribed  to  him  after  having  himself  authorized  this  election 
by  word  of  mouth  at  least,  it  must  be  taken  as  probably 
uttered  with  something  of  the  same  mental  reservation  the 
astute  general  certainly  exercised  when  he  "highly  compli 
mented"  the  colonel  "for  securing  the  services"  of  his  com 
mand  by  giving  it  the  long-wished-for  opportunity  to  get  rid 
of  him  forever.  It  may  also  be  fairly  said  that  General  Logan 
had  then  personally  little  acquaintance  with  the  regiment,  its 
colonel,  or  its  chaplain.  We  had  been  under  his  command 
but  three  or  four  months,  while  in  winter  quarters,  and  never 
in  that  time  had  he  seen  us  under  arms.  In  the  campaign  to 
come  he  knew  us  better.  It  was  well  enough  known  to  offi 
cers  and  enlisted  men  that  the  two  brother  generals,  M.  L. 
and  Giles  A.  Smith,  commanding  division  and  brigade,  who 
had  intimately  known  the  Fifty-fifth  from  the  days  of  the 
siege  of  Corinth,  sympathized  entirely  with  the  desire  of  the 
regiment  to  be  relieved  from  the  petty  tyranny  of  a  com 
mander,  all  of  whose  instincts  were  un-American,  and  whose 
unfortunate  manners  and  false  judgments  of  men  had  no 
compensation  of  unusual  military  ability. 

Certainly  these  war-worn  soldiers  were  far  better  qualified 
in  many  respects  to  make  wise  choice  of  officers  to  command 
them,  than  when  fresh  from  the  farms  and  shops  of  Illinois 
they  elected  by  ballot  the  men  who  should  lead  them  against 
their  country's  foes.  In  the  days  of  their  entire  inexperience 


MALMBORG'S    LETTER    REVIEWED.  3T3 

of  military  matters,  companies  were  generally  permitted  to 
choose  their  leaders,  taking  most  things  save  ardent  patriot 
ism  on  trust;  and  Oscar  Malmborg  was  at  first  accepted  by 
the  line  officers  as  their  lieutenant-colonel  largely  upon  his 
own  statements  respecting  his  own  military  genius  and  expe 
rience.  This  method  of  designating  leaders,  though  perilous, 
suited  the  exigency  of  the  Republic,  and  the  resultant  evils 
proved  by  experience  far  less  than  those  fairly  chargeable  to 
the  bestowal  of  commissions  because  of  local  influence  or  as 
a  political  reward. 

The  promises  made  to  the  volunteers  by  generals  and 
regimental  officers  perhaps  never  ought  to  have  been  offered. 
It  was  a  decidedly  unmilitary  proceeding,  one  quite  certain 
to  work  injustice  to  some  worthy  soldiers,  and  the  object 
sought  could  doubtless  have  been  obtained  if  those  high  in 
authority  had  chosen  to  request  two  or  three  resignations. 
But  the  failure  to  keep  the  promises  made  and  accepted  in 
good  faith  was  worse  than  injustice.  No  man  received  the 
commission  due  to  his  election  unless  he  chanced  to  stand 
already  in  the  regular  line  for  that  promotion.  The  company 
officers,  however,  respected  the  vote  of  the  men  and 
honored  their  own  promises  in  the  appointment  of  the  non 
commissioned  officers.  The  colonel,  in  a  speech  to  the 
veterans  after  the  election,  declared  that  he  would  resign 
soon  to  make  room  for  the  commander  elect,  and  the  diary 
of  a  sergeant  records  that  "for  this  the  boys  gave  him  three 
cheers,  the  best  he  ever  got  from  us;"  but  he  retained  his 
commission  —  although  not  present  with  the  regiment  —  until 
the  expiration  of  his  three-years'  term  of  service,  Septem 
ber  20th,  1864. 

Only  two  years  had  elapsed  since  its  first  battle  at  Shiloh, 
but  of  the  whole  number  who  were  ever  mustered  into  the 
regiment,  more  than  one  in  four  was  in  his  grave  —  more 
than  one  out  of  every  three  had  been  hit  by  bullet  or 
shell  —  more  than  one  in  every  two  had,  by  some  disabling 
effect  of  war,  dropped  from  the  regimental  rolls.  Few  such 
fateful  records  can  be  found  in  war  annals.  The  regimental 
rolls  now  contained  only  four  hundred  and  sixty-one  names, 
accounted  for  as  follows : 


314  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

Present  for  duty:    Commissioned  ----  26    Enlisted  men  ____  275 
On  detached  service:         "  ____  4          "  "     ____  130 

Absent  sick  .........................  "  "     ____  26 


3°  431—461 

The  muster-in  rolls  for  veterans  were  promptly  made 
ready,  and  on  the  twelfth  of  April  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois 
Veteran  Volunteers  were  duly  mustered  into  the  United  States 
service  for  three  years  or  during  the  war.  On  April  i6th, 
orders  were  received  for  the  regiment  to  proceed  at  once  to 
Chicago  for  thirty-days'  furlough.  The  next  morning,  at 
seven  o'clock,  it  marched  in  a  soaking  rain  to  Larkinsville, 
and  at  ten  the  cars  bore  it  away  for  Nashville.  Arriving 
there  by  night  on  the  eighteenth,  the  Zollicoffer  House,  then 
unfinished  and  utilized  as  barracks,  afforded  comfortable 
shelter.  The  next  day,  marching  to  the  headquarters  of 
the  department  to  pay  the  customary  respect  to  the  com 
mander,  the  regiment  was  addressed  at  some  length  by 
General  Sherman,  who  came  out  upon  the  sidewalk  sur 
rounded  by  his  staff  to  receive  and  greet  it.  He  reviewed 
in  highly  flattering  terms  its  career  from  the  time  when 
assigned  to  his  original  brigade  it  first  came  with  full  ranks 
under  his  orders  at  Benton  Barracks.  He  alluded  to  the 
fact  that  it  had  never  since  been  detached  from  his  com 
mand,  but  had  shared  in  all  his  successes  and  failures.  He 
spoke  of  the  brave  tenacity  and  the  almost  unrivalled  sacri 
fice  of  the  regiment  at  Shiloh,  and  said  that  since  that  mem 
orable  day  the  faces  of  the  boys  of  the  Fifty-fifth  had  become 
so  familiar  to  him  that  it  almost  seemed  that  he  ought  to  be 
able  to  call  each  one  by  name.  He  spoke  of  the  gallant 
charge  of  the  regiment  with  the  Eighth  Missouri,  at  Russell's 
House  —  which  he  styled  "the  prettiest  fight  of  the  war;"  of 
its  always  honorable  record  in  camp,  in  march,  in  battle  and 
siege,  —  from  Corinth  to  Memphis,  from  Memphis  to  Chicka- 
saw  Bayou  and  defeat,  —  from  defeat  to  victory  at  Arkansas 
Post  —  and  thence  through  the  glorious  Vicksburg  campaign 
to  Jackson  and  Chattanooga,  and  Knoxville.  Commending 
the  men  for  their  patriotism  in  re-enlisting,  he  turned  from 
retrospection  to  prophecy.  He  bade  them  enjoy  to  the 
utmost  their  well-earned  rest,  and  when  they  should  come 


ON    VETERAN    FURLOUGH.  3*5 

back  opportunity  would  be  given  for  their  valor  to  win  fresh 
honors  in  new  fields.  In  the  spirit  of  one  who  could  read 
clearly  the  unalterable  decrees  of  Fate,  he  briefly  outlined 
the  coming  campaigns  now  famous  in  history; — promised 
that  Atlanta's  streets  should  be  soon  overpassed  in  their 
victorious  progress, —  that  there  should  be  no  turning  back 
ward, — that  their  march  should  be  thereafter  onward  with 
faces  towards  the  sea  until  Savannah  and  Charleston  should 
fall  into  their  hands,  and  the  baseless  fabric  of  the  slave 
holder's  Confederacy  crumble  into  ruins. 

At  dark  on  the  nineteenth  we  started  upon  the  steamer 
Miami  for  Cairo,  which  we  reached  at  ten  in  the  night  of  the 
twentieth.  As  soon  as  it  was  light  enough  in  the  morning 
we  disembarked,  but  could  obtain  neither  transportation  nor 
shelter,  and  remained  upon  the  levee  until  night,  when  the 
Soldiers'  Home  was  opened  to  us.  On  the  noon  train  of 
April  22d  we  were  northward-bound  again,  and  twenty-four 
hours  later  were  marching  through  a  pouring  rain  to  the 
Soldiers'  Rest  in  Chicago,  where  the  regiment  was  welcomed 
in  a  brief  patriotic  speech  by  Colonel  Eastman.  A  substan 
tial  dinner  was  then  set  before  us  by  the  lady  friends  of  the 
regiment  who  appeared  in  strong  force,  and  it  was  discussed 
with  appreciative  appetites.  That  night  and  Sunday,  the 
twenty-fourth,  we  remained  at  the  Rest.  At  one  o'clock  of 
Monday  afternoon  we  were  marched  to  Camp  Fry,  where 
Adjutant-General  Fuller  came  to  visit  us,  and  made  a  short 
address  to  the  men,  spiced  plentifully  with  personal  compli 
ments,  which  were  respectfully  accepted  as  being  at  least 
official.  At  last,  on  the  twenty-eighth,  Major  Haynes  ap 
peared  and  paid  the  volunteers  their  dues.  Then  with  hasty 
hand-shaking  and  good-byes  all  scattered  their  several  ways 
to  meet  and  greet  the  long  waiting  ones.  And  here  the 
annalist  may  well  leave  the  furloughed  veterans  standing  on 
the  thresholds  of  two  hundred  Western  homes,  to  which  the 
coming  of  their  weather-browned  faces  and  manly  forms 
brought  joy  unspeakable  and  thanksgiving. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

THE   ATLANTA   CAMPAIGN. 

BY  freeing  the  Mississippi  River  from  hostile  obstructions 
the  Western  armies  had  effectually  isolated  an  impor 
tant  food-producing  portion  of  the  Confederacy,  and  the 
navy  vigilantly  guarded  the  divisional  line.  The  grand  strat 
egy  of  the  commander  of  the  military  division  of  the  Missis 
sippi  in  the  spring  of  1884,  was  directed  to  again  cutting  the 
Confederacy  in  twain,  on  a  line  parallel  with  the  former,  but 
along  mountain  passes,  following  and  relying  for  supplies 
upon  a  trunk  railway.  General  Grant  having  been  called  to 
the  highest  military  command  at  the  East  as  the  one  whom 
the  logic  of  success  had  proved  the  fittest  to  grapple  with 
General  Lee,  his  mantle  fell  upon  General  Sherman  by  the 
same  process  of  natural  selection.  Sherman  resumed  the 
aggressive  early  in  May,  beginning  the  most  brilliant  cam 
paign  of  the  war; — one  grandly  conceived  and  in  good  time 
brought  skilfully  to  a  glorious  issue.  In  this  campaign  the 
Fifty-fifth  bore  a  prominent  part  and  added  new  honors  to  its 
established  fame. 

The  non-veterans,  while  their  re-enlisted  comrades  were 
revelling  in  the  delights  of  home  life  as  only  furloughed  sol 
diers  can,  were  assigned  to  the  One-hundred-sixteenth  Illi 
nois  Infantry  and  placed  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant 
Barrett  of  that  regiment.  They  formed  a  company  of  them 
selves  numbering  about  seventy-five,  and  remained  on  duty 
at  Larkin's  Landing  bridge  until  the  end  of  April,  when  the 


A  DANGEROUS  EFFERVESCING  DRAUGHT.    3J7 

movement  towards  Chattanooga  began.  With  the  exception 
of  a  few  who  served  at  division  headquarters,  the  company 
became  from  May  1st  the  division  train  guard.  Marching 
from  Larkinsville  by  the  familiar  route  through  Bridgeport, 
they  passed  Lookout  Mountain  May  6th,  and  followed  in  the 
rear  of  the  ever  victorious  army  as  it  persistently  pushed  or 
outflanked  the  Southern  Fabius  from  his  strongly  fortified 
positions,  one  after  another,  —  Dalton,  —  Resaca,  —  Adairs- 
ville, — Cassville, —  Dallas.  Often  their  duties  were  fatiguing, 
entailing  frequent  and  tiresome  night  marches;  but  for  prac 
ticed  campaigners  the  service  had  its  little  compensations. 
It  was  at  least  a  novelty  for  these  men  to  be  within  hearing 
and  sight  of  a  battle  and  not  be  called  to  the  front  of  it. 
June  1 3th  the  railway  having  been  opened  to  Big  Shanty, 
that  station  was  made  a  depot  of  supplies  and  the  detach 
ment  was  sent  thither  to  unload  cars  and  await  the  return  of 
their  comrades  from  Illinois. 

The  medical  officers  did  not  accompany  the  regiment  upon 
veteran  furlough.  Dr.  Smith  remained  on  duty  with  the 
division,  and  Dr.  Roler  had  for  some  time  previous  been 
medical  director  of  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps,  and  was  sta 
tioned  at  Huntsville.  Here,  just  before  the  opening  of  the 
campaign,  his  valuable  life  was  nearly  sacrificed  by  the  care 
lessness  of  a  subordinate.  Rising  one  morning  with  a  head 
ache,  he  asked  the  steward  in  charge  of  the  medical  stores 
to  prepare  him  an  effervescing  draught  of  Rochelle  salts. 
Hastily  drinking  what  was  brought  him,  he  noticed  a  peculiar 
metallic  taste.  Almost  immediately  he  began  to  experience 
violent  pains  and  other  symptoms  of  poisoning.  An  investi 
gation  soon  proved  that  one  hundred  and  twenty  grains  of 
tartar-emetic  had  been  given  him  instead  of  the  prescribed 
tartrate  of  soda  and  potash.  There  was  no  hope  of  his  being 
able  to  survive  the  terrible  exhaustion  which  would  follow  its 
action.  He  had  taken  enough  to  kill  a  dozen  strong  men. 
Everything  that  medical  skill  could  do  was  promptly  done, 
but  with  no  expectation  of  long  retarding  the  approach  of 
death.  The  medical  director  at  department  headquarters, 
speaking  of  the  pitiable  condition  of  the  surgeon  in  the  pres 
ence  of  the  general,  said  that  if  he  had  plenty  of  ice  he 


FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

should  not  altogether  despair  of  saving  his  life;  but  there 
was  no  ice  unless  at  a  certain  locality  ten  miles  away,  outside 
the  lines.  When  General  Sherman's  little  son  had  sickened 
on  the  way  from  Vicksburg  to  Memphis,  the  preceding 
autumn,  Dr.  Roler  had  charge  of  the  patient,  and  although 
he  failed  to  save  the  boy,  his  devoted  care  endeared  him  to 
the  parents,  and  Sherman  has  mentioned  him  in  his  Memoirs. 
With  his  personal  interest  inciting  his  natural  sympathy, 
Sherman,  without  speaking  of  the  matter  to  others,  quickly 
summoned  the  commander  of  the  cavalry  and  ordered  him 
to  take  his  company,  with  a  wagon,  and  secure  the  ice  with 
all  speed  and  at  all  hazard.  The  ice  came  in  good  time,  and 
by  its  free  use  Dr.  Roler  was  enabled  in  a  few  days  to  appear 
again  at  his  post  of  duty;  but  he  never  has  recovered  his 
normal  health. 

Obedient  to  the  requirements  of  their  leave  of  absence, 
the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  Veteran  Volunteers  began  to  assemble 
at  Camp  Fry  in  Chicago,  the  place  of  rendezvous,  on  May 
29th,  1864.  On  the  first  day  of  June,  with  inspiriting  music 
and  under  escort  of  the  One-hundred-thirty-second  Illinois 
Infantry,  the  regiment  marched  through  the  city  to  the  Sol 
diers'  Rest  and  partook  there  of  a  parting  feast  provided  for 
it  by  the  patriotic  ladies  in  charge  of  that  beneficent  hostelry. 
At  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  it  was  upon  the  cars,  south 
ward  bound,  leaving  many  sad  faces  and  sore  hearts  behind. 
Arriving  at  Cairo  by  night  of  the  next  day,  it  at  once 
embarked  upon  the  steamboat  Armada,  and  at  dawn  landed 
at  the  dilapidated  little  village  of  Smithland,  Kentucky. 
There  a  detention  of  twenty-four  hours  ended  by  the  arrival 
of  the  Tennessee-River  boat,  Mattie  Cabler,  which  bore  the 
regiment  on  to  Nashville,  reaching  there  at  nine  o'clock  in 
the  evening  of  Sunday,  the  fifth  of  June.  The  men  slept 
upon  the  boat,  but  very  early  in  the  morning  marched  to  the 
Zollicoffer  barracks.  The  commissioned  officers  at  once  be 
sieged  the  paymaster,  and  the  enlisted  men  rediscovered  the 
city's  highways  and  byways.  On  Tuesday  morning  at  seven 
o'clock  another  stage  of  the  journey  was  begun  upon  the  top 
of  cars  loaded  with  stores  for  the  army.  That  night  at 
Huntsville  progress  was  again  interrupted,  and  during  the 


RETURN  TO  THE  FRONT.  319 

next  twenty-four  hours  ample  time  was  given  for  all  to  be 
come  disgusted  with  the  hotels  of  the  place,  and  charmed 
with  the  town  itself  and  its  wonderful  spring,  leaping  out 
from  the  subterranean  reservoir  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff. 

On  the  ninth,  by  night,  our  train  again  started  at  laggard 
pace.  We  breakfasted  on  the  tenth  at  Stevenson,  and  arrived 
in  a  soaking  rain  at  Chattanooga  early  in  the  morning  of  the 
eleventh,  where  we  went  to  the  Soldiers'  Rest.  It  was  not 
long  a  resting  place  for  us.  Cars  filled  with  wounded  men 
were  constantly  arriving  from  the  front,  and  we  were  soon 
driven  out  through  mud  and  tempest  to  establish  camp  in  an 
open  field.  Sunday,  the  I2th,  was  very  generally  improved 
by  a  visit  to  the  storm-swept  summit  of  Lookout,  the  day 
being  especially  propitious  for  full  enjoyment  of  the  exten 
sive  view  from  that  bristling  crag  over  the  bewildering 
entanglement  of  majestic,  forest-clad  mountain  ridges  and 
shadowy  valleys.  Late  in  the  following  afternoon  the  regi 
ment  again  mounted  the  cars,  occupying  two  trains,  and 
moved  out  from  the  shelter  of  the  mountain  through  Tunnel 
Hill,  where  we  had  fought  in  the  previous  November,  leaving 
Resaca  behind  at  sunrise,  and  halting  at  length  in  Kingston. 
We  passed  line  after  line  of  elaborate  intrenchments,  some 
of  which  the  Confederates  had  spent  the  winter  in  perfecting; 
we  crossed  numerous  swift  streams  and  saw  many  wooded 
defiles  and  mountain  fastnesses  on  either  side,  with  ever 
growing  wonder  that  even  the  pluck  of  our  army  and  the 
genius  of  its  leader  could  in  one  short  month  have  compelled 
their  abandonment,  and  in  the  face  of  a  skilful  and  deter 
mined  opposition  forced  a  passage  one  hundred  miles  into 
the  heart  of  so  defensible  a  region. 

After  forty-eight  hours  of  waiting  at  Kingston,  our  trains 
gained  the  right  of  way  on  the  road,  which  had  but  a  single 
track,  and  we  crept  slowly  along  past  the  impregnable  fort 
ress  of  Allatoona,  and  at  last,  on  June  i6th,  reached  the 
neighborhood  of  the  contending  armies  at  Big  Shanty,  where 
we  went  into  bivouac,  awaiting  orders.  Here  we  had  come 
out  from  the  maze  of  the  foot-hills.  Great  stretches  of  a 
comparatively  open  and  rolling  country  lay  before  us,  out  of 
which  directly  in  our  front,  scarce  more  than  a  cannon-shot 


320  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

away,  rose  the  twin  summits  of  Kenesaw,  six  or  seven  hundred 
feet  above  the  plain;  and  six  miles  to  the  west  stood  Lost 
Mountain,  the  southernmost  of  the  noticeable  isolated  spurs 
of  the  Alleghany  range.  Between  and  upon  these  two  moun 
tains  the  Confederates  were  firmly  intrenched.  But  on  the 
very  day  of  our  arrival  the  smoke  of  battle  could  be  seen  on 
the  far  right,  gradually  sweeping  down  past  Lost  Mountain, 
and  on  the  morrow  Johnston's  left  wing  was  refused  to  a  new 
line  prudently  fortified  in  anticipation  of  its  necessity,  and 
Kenesaw  had  become  his  salient  stronghold. 

We  were  soon  joined  by  the  non-veterans,  with  boisterous 
and  joyful  greetings.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Chandler  here 
turned  over  the  command  of  the  regiment  to  the  senior  cap 
tain,  with  the  expectation  of  obtaining  an  order  to  report  as 
provost-marshal  to  division  headquarters.  A  week  or  two 
later  we  learned  that  his  resignation  had  been  accepted  and 
he  had  left  for  the  North.  Colonel  Malmborg  was  known  to 
be  on  duty  in  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  but  he  did  not  visit  the 
regiment.  A  few  weeks  later  he  too  had  returned  to  Illinois, 
where  he  was  reported  to  be  acting  as  a  recruiting  officer  for 
the  U.  S.  Veteran  Volunteers,  known  as  Hancock's  Corps; 
but  he  was  not  mustered  out  of  the  Fifty-fifth  until  Septem 
ber  20th.  It  is  said  that  he  obtained  a  clerkship  in  the  fourth 
auditor's  office  at  Washington.  He  died  in  Kansas  about 
1874,  having  in  his  later  years  become  nearly  blind. 

Sunday,  June  igth,  we  were  ordered  to  the  front  to  join 
our  old  brigade.  The  command  now  numbered  three  hun 
dred  and  twelve  present,  about  two  hundred  and  seventy 
being  in  the  ranks  for  service.  After  crossing  one  deserted 
line  of  rebel  earth-works  we  came  under  the  fire  of  the 
artillery  upon  Kenesaw,  and  here  Michael  Rayding  of  Com 
pany  I  was  instantly  killed,  being  nearly  cut  in  two  by  a  frag 
ment  of  a  shell  that  burst  in  front  of  the  marching  column. 
He  was  of  German  birth,  handsome  in  face  and  figure,  a  fine 
soldier,  the  first  of  the  veteran  volunteers  to  give  up  his  life. 
Reaching  the  position  assigned  to  us  on  the  lower  slope  of 
the  mountain,  we  were  formed  on  the  left  of  the  brigade  and 
at  once  began  constructing  strong  rifle-pits.  Although  per 
sistently  annoyed  by  shells,  grape  and  canister  from  the 


BEFORE    KENESAW    MOUNTAIN.  321 

artillery  on  the  summit,  the  work  went  steadily  on  until  the 
twenty-first  of  June  saw  our  front  covered  by  a  finished 
earth-work  with  log  revetment  breast-high,  and  skidded  head 
logs  atop.  The  pickets  kept  up  a  continuous  skirmish  on 
the  wooded  mountain-side,  and  the  roar  of  artillery  duels 
went  on  all  along  the  line.  The  Second  division,  under  Gen 
eral  M.  L.  Smith,  consisted  now  of  but  two  brigades,  each  of 
six  regiments;  General  Giles  A.  Smith  commanding  the  First 
and  General  J.  A.  J.  Lightburn  the  Second: 

First  Brigade.  Second  Brigade. 

Sixth  Missouri.  Thirty-seventh  Ohio. 

Fifty-fifth  Illinois.  Forty-seventh  Ohio. 

One-hundred-sixteenth  Illinois.  Fifty-third  Ohio. 

One-hundred-twenty-seventh  111.  Fifty-fourth  Ohio. 

Thirtieth  Ohio.  Eighty-third  Indiana. 

Fifty-seventh  Ohio.  One-hundred-eleventh  Illinois. 

On  the  twenty-third,  a  shrapnel  shell  bursting  just  in  front 
of  us  wounded  three  men:  David  McKeighan  of  Company 
D,  William  Walker  and  Sergeant  William  Spencer  of  Com 
pany  K.  Two  iron  balls  passed  through  the  upper  part  of 
Spencer's  arm,  shattering  the  bone.  By  a  triumph  of  con 
servative  surgery  his  arm  was  saved,  two  or  three  inches  of 
the  injured  humerus  being  exsected,  shortening  it  by  so  much. 
The  plucky  young  sergeant,  elated  with  the  prospect  of  sav 
ing  his  good  right  arm,  soon  after  the  operation  sent  word  to 
his  company  commander  that  he  was  "all  right,  and  even  had 
some  advantage  in  his  loss,  for  he  would  now  be  nearer  the 
girls  when  he  shook  hands  with  them  than  the  other  boys." 

On  the  right  wing,  where  the  obstacles  interposed  by 
nature  were  not  unusually  difficult,  there  seemed  to  be  slow 
but  steady  onward  progress  —  some  gain  of  road  or  hill  or 
stream  almost  daily  made;  but  along  our  corps'  front  rose 
the  steep  scarp  ending  abruptly  in  many  places  with  almost 
perpendicular  ledges  of  rock,  needing  no  defenders.  The 
rebel  pickets  shouted  down  from  their  safe  elevation  invita 
tions  to  our  outposts:  "Come  up  and  see  us;"  and  ours  jocu 
larly  responded,  "We're  coming,  waiting  only  for  our  ladders." 

No  weakening  of  the  Confederate  force  in  our  front  was 
obvious,  but  General  Sherman,  with  the  knowledge  that 
21 


322  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

Hood's  Corps  had  been  withdrawn  from  before  McPherson 
to  re-enforce  the  left  of  General  Johnston's  line  against  the 
energetic  flank  movements  of  Schofield  and  Hooker,  reasoned 
that  the  rugged  and  almost  inaccessible  heights  were  prob 
ably  held  by  artillery  and  a  noisy  skirmish  line  only,  which 
might  be  broken  through  at  some  weak  spot  by  a  sudden  and 
determined  assault.  Upon  the  rocky  watch-tower  of  Kene- 
saw,  however,  sleepless  eyes  noted  the  slightest  change  in  the 
features  of  the  map  outspread  before  them,  and  not  a  move 
ment  was  made  by  day  or  by  night  but  they  marked  it, 
counted  its  value,  guessed  its  purpose,  and  deliberately  made 
preparations  for  counteracting  it.  The  Confederate  left  wing 
was  now  so  far  refused  that  Kenesaw  was,  as  it  were,  the  key 
stone  of  a  semicircular  arch  formed  by  the  rebel  lines. 
Along  the  chords  of  the  long  curve,  at  briefest  notice  the 
reserves  could  spring  to  protect  sorely  threatened  points. 
A  successful  crushing  through  of  this  arc  at  any  important 
point,  however,  would  almost  ensure  overwhelming  ruin  to 
Johnston's  army,  and  Sherman  felt  that  the  chance  ought  to 
be  taken  —  that  even  a  sanguinary  charge,  if  successful, 
would  be  economy  of  patriots'  blood.  He  took  the  fearful 
responsibility,  probably  against  the  judgment  of  all  the  lead 
ing  general  and  field  officers  in  the  army,  save  some  few 
whose  judgment  was  distracted  by  an  itching  of  their  shoul 
ders  for  a  star.  In  his  report  General  Sherman  gives  as  one 
chief  reason  for  ordering  this  assault  upon  carefully  planned 
intrenchments,  that  the  army  needed  to  be  taught  that  out 
flanking  was  not  the  only  mode  of  offensive  warfare.  The 
teacher  himself  seems  to  have  learned  one  lesson  at  the  same 
date.  He  never  again  ordered  a  charge  in  column  upon  a 
well-intrenched  foe. 

Sunday,  the  twenty-sixth  of  June,  our  division  got  orders 
to  withdraw  from  their  lines  quietly  after  dark,  the  Second 
division  of  the  Sixteenth  Corps  occupying  the  vacated 
position.  We  marched  as  we  then  supposed  for  a  flank 
movement  to  the  right,  but  were  halted  at  midnight,  after 
proceeding  four  or  five  miles,  went  into  bivouac  in  the  wood 
land  and  slept  until  day-break.  About  seven  in  the  morning 
the  officers  were  summoned  before  the  brigade  commander, 


ASSAULT    UPON    LITTLE    KENESAW.  323 

General  Giles  A.  Smith,  and  notified  that  in  half  an  hour  the 
brigade  was  to  lead  in  an  assault  upon  Little  Kenesaw,  then 
not  much  more  than  half  a  mile  distant  in  our  front.  The 
men  were  at  once  instructed  to  strip  for  fight,  leaving  every 
thing  but  essentials  at  the  bivouac.  One  man  from  each 
company  was  detailed  to  remain  as  guard  over  its  property. 
Few  but  tried  soldiers  were  in  that  little  band  waiting  in  the 
forest  glade  for  the  dread  signal.  Though  thus  surprised 
with  the  knowledge  that  in  a  few  minutes  they  were  to  make 
a  desperate  dash  against  ramparts  bristling  with  natural  diffi 
culties  and  defended  by  practical  fighters,  yet  probably  a 
casual  observer  would  have  noted  in  the  occupation  or  out 
ward  manifestations  of  feeling  among  these  men  little  to 
distinguish  this  from  an  ordinary  group  of  soldiers  resting  on 
a  march.  The  breakfast  was  eaten  with  appetite,  the  pipe 
smoking  and  discursive  talk  went  on  as  usual.  But  comrades 
could  read  in  each  other's  faces  signs  not  always  to  be  seen 
there;  in  those  of  the  prominent  officers  sterner  and  more 
rigid  facial  lines,  indicating  the  load  of  responsibility  they 
felt  resting  upon  them;  in  all  countenances  a  more  quiet  and 
fixed  expression,  almost  amounting  to  a  slight  pallor.  The 
laugh  sometimes  heard  had  no  heart  in  it,  the  arguments  no 
vivacity,  the  sportiveness  was  rare  or  spasmodic,  and  often  a 
far-away  look  in  some  eyes  told  of  thoughts  wandering  to 
the  distant  Northern  home,  perhaps  never  again  to  be  seen. 
A  few  handed  to  some  one  of  the  guards,  or  to  the  chaplain, 
a  valued  watch  or  keepsake,  with  brief  words  of  contingent 
instruction.  A  few  wrote  brief  notes  and  placed  them  in 
their  knapsacks. 

The  tendency  of  old  soldiers  to  become  fatalists  has  often 
been  commented  upon.  Examples  of  this  tendency  were 
frequently  noticed  in  the  Fifty-fifth.  Tales  of  premonitions 
justified  by  quick-following  death  or  wounds  are  even  now 
often  in  the  mouths  of  comrades,  while  the  examples,  prob 
ably  far  more  numerous,  of  gloomy  omens  that  came  to 
naught,  are  all  forgotten.  Men  who  had  marched  confidently 
and  undismayed  into  battle  after  battle,  were  suddenly  on 
the  approach  of  a  fight  seen  to  be  out  of  heart,  and  save  for 
their  pride  almost  willing  to  own  that  their  courage  had  all 


324  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

left  them.  Perhaps  these  cases  of  dismal  foreboding  among 
us  were  not  more  numerous  on  the  morning  of  June  27th 
than  before  other  bloody  days  in  our  experience,  but  several 
are  remembered.  A  sergeant  whose  past  record  had  proved 
him  exceptionally  brave,  was  exceedingly  depressed  and  con 
fessed  to  his  company  commander  an  immovable  conviction 
that  if  he  went  into  the  impending  battle  he  should  never 
see  the  sun  rise  again;  and  asked  if  he  could  be  saved  from 
the  death  that  stared  him  in  the  face,  without  disgrace.  The 
officer  reported  the  case  privately  to  the  senior  captain 
commanding  the  regiment,  who,  knowing  the  worth  of  the 
sergeant,  ordered  him  detailed  to  be  left  in  command  of  the 
guard  over  the  regimental  property. 

There  was  no  one  to  excuse  the  captain  himself.  Physi 
cally  and  morally  an  ideal  company  commander,  tried  in  bat 
tle,  march,  siege  and  assault,  and  never  known  to  falter,  he 
had  been  conversing  cheerfully  and  displayed  his  usual  calm 
demeanor.  But  he  had  quietly  said  to  the  friend  and  fellow 
captain  sitting  beside  him,  that  he  felt  the  oppressive  shadow 
of  near  death  hanging  over  him.  He  handed  his  friend  a 
pocket-knife  'to  remember  him  by,'  took  out  a  little  mem 
orandum  book  and  wrote : 

Monday,  27,  1864. 

We  marched  last  night  until  eleven  —  got  up  at  seven  this  morning  — 
are  to  make  an  assault  upon  the  breastworks  at  half-past  seven.  Our 
division  takes  the  lead.  Now  may  God  protect  the  right.  Am  doubting 
our  success. 

The  order  for  the  forward  movement  came,  and  Captain 
Augustine's  voice  in  command  rang  out  as  sharp  and  clear  as 
though  on  parade.  The  two  brigades  steadily  advanced 
through  the  heavily  wooded  and  undulating  ground  border 
ing  on  the  head  waters  of  Nose's  Creek,  were  formed  in  battle 
lines  and  began  the  charge.  At  first  we  were  preceded  by  a 
regiment  armed  with  magazine  rifles  and  deployed  as  skir 
mishers.  We  soon  encountered  the  fire  of  the  surprised  rebel 
pickets,  but  without  pause  dashed  over  them  —  killing  those 
who  opposed,  sending  some  as  prisoners  to  the  rear,  and  driv 
ing  the  rest  before  us.  The  division  artillery  meantime 
poured  a  storm  of  missiles  over  our  heads  into  the  main  works 


ASSAULT    UPON    LITTLE    KENESAW.  325 

of  the  enemy.  The  roar  of  the  cannon  behind  and  before, 
the  bursting  of  shells,  rattling  of  musketry,  Union  hurrahs 
and  answering  rebel  yells,  made  a  horrible  pandemonium  of 
that  little  mountain  valley,  appalling  even  to  the  most  expe 
rienced.  Rushing  onward  about  five  hundred  yards  beyond 
the  little  barricades  of  the  picket-line,  through  dense  imped 
ing  underbrush  and  down  over  a  stretch  of  marshy  ground, 
we  crossed  the  little  creek  and  came  out  upon  an  open  area 
at  the  base  of  a  precipitous,  rock-strewn  hill,  below  the  crest 
of  which,  within  pistol  shot,  lay  General  Loring's  veterans  — 
a  brigade  of  French's  division — behind  strong  walls  of  stone. 
Up  the  long  incline  to  the  higher  ridge  of  Kenesaw  on  the 
left  ran  a  line  of  rifle-pits,  the  troops  in  which  opened  an 
enfilading  fire  upon  us,  while  two  batteries  commanded  the 
ground  over  which  we  charged.  General  O.  O.  Howard  has 
recently  put  upon  record  his  opinion  that  the  Confederate 
line  at  Kenesaw  "was  stronger  in  artificial  contrivances  and 
natural  features  than  the  cemetery  at  Gettysburg.  The  com 
plete  works,  the  slashings  in  front,  and  the  difficulties  of 
the  slope  towards  us  under  a  full  sweep  of  infantry  and  of 
artillery  cross-fire  made  the  position  in  itself  next  to  impreg 
nable." 

Our  brigade,  as  it  debouched  from  the  thicket  into  the 
open  at  double-quick  step  and  struck  the  ledges,  all  over 
which  a  natural  growth  of  stunted,  scraggy  oaks  had  been 
felled,  was  no  longer  column  or  line,  but  a  swarm  of  desper 
ate  men  clambering  up  between  boulders  and  over  tree  trunks, 
and  struggling  through  a  tangled  abatis  of  gnarled  limbs. 
The  place  was  almost  inaccessible  to  one  unincumbered  and 
unopposed.  Nothing  we  had  surmounted  at  Vicksburg 
equalled  it  in  natural  difficulties.  The  troops  upon  our  left, 
dismayed,  fell  back  without  any  attempt  to  cross  the  open 
ground  at  the  foot  of  the  slope,  and  those  on  the  right  soon 
gave  way,  enabling  the  enemy  to  concentrate  their  fire  upon 
us.  There  could  be  no  concert  of  action  and  little  leadership; 
each  had  to  climb  or  shelter  himself  and  fight  as  he  best 
could. 

Captain  Augustine  was  conspicuous,  always  pressing  for 
ward  and  prominent  among  the  foremost.  The  impulse  of 


326  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

the  first  rush  was  quickly  lost  in  the  mingled  fatigue  of  climb 
ing  and  the  death  of  hope  at  sight  of  the  fearful  obstacles 
ahead.  All  faltered  and  advance  seemed  at  an  end.  Seeing 
this,  and  at  the  same  minute  hearing  and  probably  misunder 
standing  the  bugle  signal  for  retreat  sounded  in  our  rear, 
Captain  Augustine,  sword  in  hand,  climbing  in  advance  a 
pace  or  two,  and  shouting,  "Forward,  men!"  stood  erect,  for 
one  moment  the  grandest  figure  in  the  terrible  scene;  the 
next  instant  he  lay  prostrate,  pierced  through  the  left  breast 
by  a  fatal  bullet.  His  fall  visibly  disheartened  the  regiment, 
though  a  few  men  got  closer  under  the  rebel  parapet,  and 
attempt  at  further  forward  movement  ceased.  Captain  Shaw, 
the  second  in  command,  calmly  assumed  the  duty  devolving 
upon  him.  Many  wounded  were  dropping  back  to  the  rear, 
the  charge  could  not  win,  and  longer  exposure  to  that  cross 
fire  from  covered  marksmen  meant  only  useless  murder. 
General  Smith  again  gave  the  order  by  bugle  call  to  fall 
back,  and  most  of  the  men  swept  down  into  the  shelter  of 
the  forest  across  the  brook,  and  re-forming  as  a  skirmish  line 
along  a  little  ridge,  kept  the  enemy  from  making  a  counter 
charge  or  using  their  artillery,  and  protected  the  few  living 
who  had  failed  to  retreat,  so  that  one  by  one  nearly  all  crept 
down  and  escaped  -by  a  desperate  run  across  the  open  space 
to  the  ridge. 

To  this  point  tools  were  brought  and  rifle-pits  begun,  under 
a  fierce  artillery  fire  from  the  hill  batteries;  but  at  night  the 
brigade  was  withdrawn  to  the  rear,  other  troops  being  aligned 
in  the  parallel  we  had  captured  from  the  pickets  in  the  morn 
ing  advance.  The  bands  struck  up  patriotic  airs  as  darkness 
closed  down,  and  in  their  tree-canopied  bivouac  the  torn  and 
sadly  diminished  battalions  forgot  sorrow  and  fatigue  in 
sleep.  Of  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  sent  into  action  by  the 
Fifty-fifth,  twelve  of  the  bravest  lay  stark  and  cold  among 
the  rocks  of  the  hill  or  by  the  brook-side;  three  had  received 
burial  at  the  hands  of  comrades  in  the  woodland,  and  thirty- 
two  had  been  borne  or  found  their  own  way  to  the  hospital 
for  surgeon's  attention. 

Captain  Augustine  was  brought  down  to  the  base  of  the 
hill  by  John  Sheneman  and  Joseph  Putnam.  He  was  entirely 


THE    HEROIC    DEAD.  327 

conscious  and  gave  orders  to  some  men  near  to  seek  shelter 
behind  trees  and  try  to  keep  down  the  enemy's  marksmen 
until  those  yet  upon  the  hill  could  escape.  Soon  Lieutenant 
Henry  Augustine,  his  brother,  was  summoned  to  his  side. 
He  died  within  an  hour  in  his  brother's  arms,  bidding  his 
friends  not  to  mourn  for  him;  he  gave  his  life  a  willing  sacri 
fice  in  a  just  cause.  In  the  same  hour,  a  few  paces  away  by 
the  little  stream,  another  pathetic  scene  was  witnessed. 
Joseph  Putnam,  having  helped  bring  the  dying  captain  to  the 
sheltered  spot  where  he  lay,  ran  to  find  a  stretcher  to  bear 
him  to  the  rear;  but  before  he  had  gone  many  steps  a  bullet 
pierced  his  thigh,  breaking  the  bone  and  severing  an  artery. 
A  sweet  singer,  jolliest  of  messmates,  loved  for  his  invincible 
good  nature,  respected  by  all  for  his  manliness,  courage,  and 
cheerful  attendance  upon  duty,  his  heroic  death  was  in  har 
monious  keeping  with  his  life.  The  rosy-cheeked,  curly- 
headed  boy  knew  that  his  wound  was  mortal,  and  told  a 
comrade,  George  W.  Curfman,  who  attempted  to  aid  him, 
that  he  had  but  a  brief  time  to  live.  Then  he  began  singing: 
"We're  going  home  to  die  no  more."  As  his  life's  blood 
pulsed  away  his  voice  grew  fainter  and  fainter,  but  murmured 
the  refrain  until  forever  stilled  on  earth. 

The  generous-hearted  and  dauntless  captain  of  Company 
E,  William  C.  Porter,  leader  of  a  forlorn  hope  at  Vicksburg, 
was  shot  through  the  left  thigh,  borne  from  the  hill  by  two  of 
his  men,  and  died  from  loss  of  blood  about  four  o'clock  the 
same  afternoon.  The  day  was  intensely  hot,  and  the  fatigue 
of  the  charge  and  toilsome  climb  so  accelerated  the  pulsa 
tions  of  the  heart  and  heated  the  blood,  that  several  whose 
wounds  might  not  otherwise  have  proved  fatal,  perished  of 
depletion  before  the  surgeons  could  tie  their  torn  arteries,  or 
of  exhaustion  afterwards.  Captain  Porter  had  married  while 
on  veteran  furlough,  and  spent  his  last  moments  in  sending 
consoling  messages  to  his  young  wife.  The  men  who  placed 
his  body  in  its  mother  earth,  their  sad  office  done,  had  not 
got  out  of  sight  of  the  grave  when  a  shell  from  the  rebel 
batteries  struck  fairly  into  the  little  mound,  and  bursting 
almost  uncovered  the  dead  soldier  again,  as  though  begrudg 
ing  him  his  six  feet  of  Southern  soil.  One  of  the  men  who 


328  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS    INFANTRY. 

went  to  the  captain's  assistance  when  he  fell,  Adam  Gleisner, 
was  shot  through  the  head  and  died  beside  him  on  the  hill. 
He  had  fought  in  every  battle  the  regiment  was  ever  engaged 
in,  and  bore  an  enviable  reputation  for  his  soldierly  behavior. 

Captain  N.  S.  Aagesen,  while  leading  his  company  and 
well  up  the  slope,  had  his  right  arm  shattered  near  the  shoul 
der.  He  was  helped  to  the  rear  by  his  men,  and  finally 
reached  the  hospital,  where  his  arm  was  amputated,  leaving 
him  in  a  pitiable  plight,  for  he  had  practically  lost  all  use  of 
his  left  arm  from  the  effects  of  a  wound  received  at  Shiloh. 
Recovering  after  a  long  convalescence,  he  was  detailed  upon 
a  court  of  inquiry  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  never  rejoined 
the  regiment  until  mustered  out  with  it  at  Louisville,  in  1865. 
He  was  a  Dane  by  birth,  and  had  been  in  America  but  two 
years  when  the  war  broke  out,  going  north  from  Mobile  after 
the  fall  of  Sumpter  to  enlist  in  the  Union  cause. 

Lieutenant  Hartsook  led  Company  K  in  the  charge  and 
was  wounded  upon  the  mountain  among  the  foremost.  Lieu 
tenant  Lomax  and  Sergeant  Kays  of  the  same  company  were 
struck  by  a  bullet  while  one  of  them  was  giving  the  other  a 
drink  from  his  canteen,  after  the  regiment  had  fallen  back, 
the  ball  passing  through  the  left  thigh  of  the  sergeant  into 
the  right  hip  of  the  lieutenant.  Bartley  Holden,  a  jovial  and 
plucky  Irishman  of  Company  A,  was  shot  down  just  in  ad 
vance  of  his  captain.  James  Clark,  another  faithful  soldier 
of  that  company,  was  mortally  wounded  and  died  at  Alla- 
toona  hospital  a  fortnight  after  the  battle.  George  W.  Crow- 
ell  of  Company  C,  was  instantly  killed  as  he  stood  upon  the 
trunk  of  a  fallen  tree,  while  swinging  his  hat  and  shouting  to 
his  comrades  to  "come  on,"  he  being  then  as  near  the  rebel 
line  as  any  man  in  the  regiment.  His  brother  had  found  a 
grave  on  the  battle-field  of  Shiloh.  Henry  C.  Curtiss  of  the 
same  company  fell  dead  just  as  the  charging  line  reached  the 
base  of  the  hill.  Company  E  had  six  men  killed  including 
its  captain  —  nearly  half  the  lives  lost  in  the  engagement  by 
the  Fifty-fifth.  Patrick  Moran,  whose  home  name  was  said 
to  be  Flemming,  and  James  Quigley,  were  among  the  first  to 
fall.  Richard  Shanning,  a  brave  veteran,  when  some  of  his 
comrades  offered  to  try  to  get  him  to  the  rear  after  he  was 


THE    HEROIC    DEAD.  329 

mortally  wounded,  insisted  upon  their  leaving  him  and  caring 
for  themselves,  as  he  could  live  but  a  short  time.  He  died 
before  they  left  him.  Charles  Merrill,  who  was  noted  for 
coolness  in  danger,  was  one  of  the  last  to  come  down  from 
the  hill,  and  was  shot  through  the  heart  facing  the  enemy,  as 
he  turned  to  look  back  from  the  foot  of  the  slope. 

There  were  probably  in  every  regiment  a  few  men  who, 
however  brave  at  heart,  had  legs  that  could  with  difficulty  be 
induced  to  stay  anywhere  near  the  front  in  the  hour  of  battle. 
These  men  were  sometimes  in  all  other  respects  worthy  sol 
diers;  cleanly,  dutiful,  useful  everywhere  but  in  fight.  If 
they  had  not  too  openly  disgraced  themselves,  they  were 
usually  permitted  to  drift  into  some  menial  position,  or  were 
detailed  where  their  trades  or  special  capacities  made  them 
of  service  to  the  army.  No  company  in  the  Fifty-fifth  could 
be  more  impatient  of  the  existence  of  a  constitutional  cow 
ard  among  them  than  the  always  stanch  and  true  Company  I. 
Yet  such  a  man  was  in  their  ranks,  who,  after  escaping  from 
two  or  three  battles,  obtained  an  order  placing  him  on  de 
tached  service,  out  of  danger.  But  when  Sherman's  sweep 
ing  order  at  the  opening  of  the  Atlanta  campaign  sent  to 
their  regiments  thousands  of  men  who  had  been  long  retained 
in  comfortable  berths  at  hospitals  or  supply  depots,  this  sol 
dier  came  reluctantly  among  his  old  messmates.  After  the 
battle  he  was  found  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  some  distance  to  the 
rear  of  the  creek,  shot  through  the  head  by  a  chance  ball. 

The  wounded  who  could  bear  moving  were  after  a  few 
days  taken  from  the  field  hospital  and  sent  to  Allatoona  by 
night  in  a  freight  train.  It  was  a  terribly  painful  trip  for 
these  mangled  men,  riding  over  the  rough  roadway  upon 
mattresses  spread  on  the  floors  of  the  cars;  and  when  taken 
out  at  sunrise  most  of  them  were  completely  exhausted  with 
fatigue  and  lack  of  nourishment.  But  they  at  once  found 
themselves  in  the  hands  of  the  agents  of  the  Sanitary  and 
Christian  Commissions,  under  the  leadership  of  Mother 
Porter,  who  with  smiling  faces  and  cheerful  words  of  encour 
agement  administered  needed  stimulants  and  food,  and  soon 
had  them  comfortably  located  in  hospital  tents. 

The  assaults  made  at  other  points  in  the  lines,  though 


330 


FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 


nowhere  encountering  such  insuperable  natural  obstacles  as 
existed  at  Little  Kenesaw,  failed  as  decidedly  to  pierce  the 
Confederate  defences.  The  trial  had  been  gallantly  made, 
and,  as  generally  happens  where  human  flesh  is  hurled  against 
earth  and  stone  defended  with  military  skill  by  brave  veter 
ans,  nothing  had  been  gained  at  all  commensurate  with  the 
frightful  loss  of  valuable  lives.  Again  resort  was  had  to  the 
strategy  of  flank  movements.  For  several  days  we  remained 
in  reserve  at  the  rear  of  the  lines  we  had  captured.  Attempts 
were  made  by  comrades  to  reach  our  dead  upon  Kenesaw  by 
night,  but  the  enemy's  pickets  were  stationed  at  the  foot  of 
the  hill  and  forbade  approach.  It  was  nearly  a  week  before 
a  burial  party  could  visit  the  scene,  when  the  bodies  were 
found  unburied,  though  robbed  of  certain  articles  of  apparel. 

CASUALTIES    OF    FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS    VET.    VOLS., 
AT    LITTLE    KENESAW,    JUNE    ?;,    1864. 


KILLED. 


COMPANY. 


REMARKS. 


JACOB  M.  AUGUSTINE,  captain. 
BARTLEY  HOLDEN. 
WILLIAM  STEVENSON. 
GEORGE  W.  CROWELL. 
HENRY  C.  CURTISS. 
CHARLES  SAMUELSON. 
ADAM  GLEISNER. 
CHARLES  MERRILL. 
PATRICK  MORAN. 
WILLIAM  C.  PORTER,  captain. 
JAMES  QUIGLEY. 
RICHARD  SHANNING. 
JOSEPH  PUTNAM. 
ADAM  HENLIEN. 
DAVID  MARSHALL. 

WOUNDED. 
JAMES  CLARK. 
CHARLES  F.  HAMILTON. 
DANIEL  K.  MAXWELL. 
EDGAR  J.  PORTER. 
HARVEY  SHAW. 
JAMES  M.  WHITE. 
JOHN  A.  HILLBORG. 
ALEC.  W.  PETERSEN. 
THEODORE  SHULTZ,  sergeant. 


A. 

Shot 

in  left  breast. 

A. 

B. 

C. 

C. 

C. 

E. 

Shot 

through  head. 

E. 

Shot 

in  breast. 

E. 

E. 

Shot 

in  thigh. 

E. 

E. 

F. 

Thigh  broken. 

I. 

Shot 

through  head. 

I. 

Shot 

through  head. 

A.  In  right  shoulder,  mortally. 

A.  Slightly,  in  left  leg. 

A.  Severely,  in  left  arm  and  leg. 

A.  Severely,  in  right  hand  and  wrist. 

A.  Slightly,  in  left  hand. 

A.  Right  leg  amputated. 

C.  In  left  hand. 

C.  In  leg. 

C.  In  the  foot. 


CASUALTIES    OF    BATTLE. 


331 


WOUNDED. 


COMPANY. 


REMARKS. 


NICHOLAS  S.  AAGESEN,  captain.  D. 

ALBERT  F.  PADEN.  D. 

JOSEPH  CORBY,  color-corporal.  E. 

HENRY  JOHNSON.  E. 

PATRICK  QUIGLEY.  E. 

JAMES  N.  FUGATE.  F. 

DAVID  N.  HOLMES,  corporal.  F. 

DAVID  J.  MATHENY.  F. 

EDMUND  T.  TOTTMAN.  F. 

JAMES  W.  GAY,  color-sergeant.  G. 

JOHN  MELLON.  G. 

ANDREW  MURRAY.  G. 

FRANKLIN  SMITH.  G. 

WILLIAM  WILSON.  G. 

GEORGE  E.  WITTER.  G. 

JOHN  D.  FRAZIER,  corporal.  H. 

JOSEPH  EDWARDS.  I. 

STEPHEN  R.  MALCOMB.  I. 

JOHN  W.  MATLOCK.  I. 

ROBERT  M.  Cox,  corporal.  K. 
JOSEPH  HARTSOOK,y£r.y/-/z>«/<?«fl«/.K. 

JAMES  W.  KAYS,  sergeant.  K. 

WILLIAM  D.  LOMAX,  second-lient.  K. 


Right  arm  amputated. 

In  left  hand. 

In  left  heel. 

In  left  shoulder. 

In  left  arm. 

Bullet  through  both  thighs. 

In  left  hip. 

In  right  arm. 

In  right  elbow. 

Across  small  of  back. 

Right  leg  amputated. 

In  neck. 

In  right  shoulder,  severely. 

In  hand. 

In  head. 

Right  arm  amputated. 

In  right  leg,  severely. 

In  arm. 

In  right  arm. 

In  left  arm. 

In  left  shoulder. 

In  left  thigh. 

In  right  hip. 


The  roads  which  had  been  in  an  almost  impassable  condi 
tion  on  account  of  heavy  rains,  now  under  the  hot  summer's 
sun  fast  dried,  and  army  stores  were  rapidly  brought  to  the 
front.  July  2d,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  General  M.  L. 
Smith's  division  moved  to  the  right  and  halted  at  noon  in 
rear  of  the  Twenty-third  Corps,  near  Nickajack  Creek.  That 
night  Kenesaw  was  evacuated.  As  usual,  General  Johnston 
had  fallen  back  into  elaborate  works  constructed  under  the 
direction  of  skilful  military  engineers  by  an  army  of  negroes. 
The  works  from  which  he  had  retired  were  held  by  a  strong 
line  of  skirmishers  as  long  as  possible.  July  3d  the  Fifty- 
fifth  and  One-hundred-twenty-seventh  Illinois,  in  a  reconnois- 
sance  on  the  Turner's  Ferry  road,  encountered  the  rebel 
pickets  and  drove  them  from  their  lines.  The  advance  of 
the  Seventeenth  Corps  in  the  afternoon  took  possession  of 
the  road.  July  4th  we  moved  eastward  three  miles,  the  Six 
teenth  Corps  fighting  in  our  front,  and  by  a  charge  finally 
gaining  possession  of  a  line  of  rifle-pits,  despite  strenuous 


332  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

opposition.  Recognizing  the  fact  that  another  advance  by 
the  right  flank  would  bring  Sherman's  army  upon  the  Chatta- 
hoochee  near  Sandtown,  threatening  his  communications  with 
Atlanta,  Johnston  fell  back  from  his  new  position  that  night 
to  another  "last  ditch"  close  to  the  bridges  and  fords  of  the 
river. 

Some  of  the  works  abandoned  were  marvels  for  perfection 
of  engineering  cunning.  In  one  location  commanding  a 
wide,  level,  open  tract,  a  tall  stockade  of  tree  trunks  planted 
side  by  side  and  fastened  by  transverse  timber,  with  the  usual 
abatis  in  front,  took  the  place  of  the  ordinary  rifle-pit.  On 
the  fifth  we  moved  three  miles  towards  the  river  and  remained 
in  bivouac  two  days  at  Mill's  Grove,  sweltering  in  the  hot 
sun.  From  the  bringing  forward  of  pontoon  trains  it  became 
evident  that  there  was  some  thought  of  an  attempt  to  dash 
across  the  Chattahoochee,  but  the  enemy  were  found  fortified 
in  too  great  force  opposite.  The  whistling  of  locomotives 
in  the  direction  of  Marietta  told  that  supplies  were  reaching 
the  army  in  the  field  by  railway  again.  On  July  8th  we 
moved  two  miles  to  the  left,  and  from  one  point  could  see 
the  much  coveted  city  of  Atlanta  in  the  distance.  From  our 
camp  at  this  place  the  following  document  was  forwarded  to 
the  capital  of  Illinois: 

HEADQUARTERS  55™  REGT.  ILL.  INFY.  VOLS.,         > 
CAMP  NEAR  CHATTAHOOCHEE  RIVER,  GA.,  July  8,  1864.  \ 
HON.  A.  C.  FULLER,  Adjutant-General, 

Springfield,  111. 

SIR  : — At  a  meeting  of  the  commissioned  officers  of  the  Fifty-fifth 
Regiment  Illinois  Veteran  Volunteers,  serving  with  the  regiment  in  the 
field,  Captain  Francis  H.  Shaw  of  Company  C,  was  unanimously  chosen 
to  be  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  regiment,  vice  T.  C.  Chandler,  resigned. 

At  the  election  of  commissioned  officers  for  the  veteran  organization, 
in  April  last,  Captain  F.  H.  Shaw  was  chosen  major,  and  Captain  Jacob 
M.  Augustine,  lately  killed  in  action,  lieutenant-colonel;  and  as  all  the 
field-officers  belonging  to  the  regiment  are  on  detached  service,  it  is 
respectfully  urged  that  the  efficiency  of  the  command  requires  that 
Captain  Francis  H.  Shaw  be  commissioned  at  the  earliest  practicable 
date.  All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 
Very  truly,  your  obt.  servt., 

C.  M.  BROWNE, 

F.  P.  FISHER,  Capt.  Co.  G,  actg.  major  ^th  Regt.  Ills.  Vols. 

ist  Lieut,  and  Adjutant. 


ON    THE    CHATTAHOOCHEE.  333 

[Endorsed.] 

HEADQUARTERS  IST  BRIGADE,  2ND  DIVISION,  15™  A.  C., ) 
IN  THE  FIELD,  GA.,  July  gth,  1864.  ) 

Approved.  Captain  Shaw  is  now  commanding  the  regiment  and  is  a 
good  officer.  He  is  next  in  rank  to  Major  Heffernan,  whose  continued 
absence  from  the  regiment  forfeits  all  claims  to  promotion. 

GILES  A.  SMITH,  Brig.-Genl.  Vols. 

On  the  ninth  of  July  we  were  moved  about  half  a  mile  to 
the  east,  and  began  fortifying;  but  during  that  night  the 
enemy  disappeared  from  our  front.  Johnston  had  crossed 
the  Chattahoochee  with  all  his  forces,  and  the  smoke  of  the 
burning  bridges  proclaimed  the  fact  to  the  whole  Union 
army  at  dawn.  The  Twenty-third  Corps  had  already  by 
surprise  effected  a  crossing  eight  miles  above  the  railway 
bridge  at  Soap  Creek,  and  our  cavalry  had  waded  the  river 
at  Roswell.  Both  were  strongly  intrenched,  expecting 
immediate  assault.  The  other  divisions  of  the  army  made 
demonstrations  at  the  ferries  for  miles  up  and  down  the 
Chattahoochee,  which  was  somewhat  swollen  with  recent 
rains,  about  six  hundred  feet  broad,  and  nowhere  passable 
for  troops  without  bridging.  Atlanta  was  but  ten  miles 
distant  by  railroad.  By  the  maps,  it  seemed  obvious  that 
the  more  advantageous  as  well  as  shorter  line  of  attack  upon 
that  great  intrenched  camp  and  railway  centre  was  from 
Sandtown,  aiming  at  the  East  Point  junction  of  the  West 
Point  and  Macon  railways  to  cut  off  the  southern  line  of 
retreat.  Important  strategic  considerations,  the  topography 
of  the  region  to  be  traversed,  and  the  great  desirability  of 
cutting  the  railway  communications  with  the  East,  deter 
mined  General  Sherman  to  adopt  a  line  of  approach  double 
the  length  of  that  to  the  south. 

On  the  eleventh,  we  moved  by  the  left  flank  a  hot  and 
dusty  march  of  five  miles,  and  in  the  afternoon  of  the  next 
day  entered,  after  a  tramp  of  twelve  miles,  the  charmingly 
located  valley  city,  Marietta.  The  huge  hotel,  three-story 
military  academy,  elegant  residences,  steam-mills  and  numer 
ous  stores  and  shops,  marked  the  place  as  having  been  a 
social  and  commercial  centre  of  large  importance;  while  the 
park-like  groves  of  oak  and  hickory  and  the  dominating 


334  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

neighborhood  of  Kenesaw  gave  it  a  picturesque  beauty  rare 
in  that  land.  Long  before  light  on  the  thirteenth,  we  were 
aroused  from  our  slumbers  to  hasten  forward  towards  Ros- 
well,  ten  miles  east,  where  a  trestle  bridge  had  been  thrown 
across  the  river,  over  which  we  marched  the  following  day. 
Brick  ruins  enclosing  great  beds  of  grey  ashes  marked  the 
site  of  extensive  mills  here,  which  had  been  burned  by  the 
cavalry,  who  had  no  cautious  respect  for  the  French  flag 
displayed  above  them  as  a  claim  for  protection.  These  mills 
had  been  manufacturing  canvas  and  tents  for  the  Confed 
eracy.  We  had  seen  some  of  the  three  or  four  hundred 
female  operatives  captured  here,  while  on  their  way  to  the 
cars;  factory  girls  and  tent  makers  having  been  pronounced 
by  General  Sherman  "contraband  of  war,"  and  ordered  to  be 
transported  north  of  the  Ohio  River.  The  division  advanced 
two  miles  beyond  the  Chattahoochee,  took  up  a  strong 
position  and  fortified  it.  We  were  about  twenty  miles  from 
Atlanta. 

At  this  point,  broiling  under  the  July  sun,  we  remained 
until  Sunday,  the  seventeenth,  when,  advancing  eight  miles, 
we  re-formed  in  battle  line  along  Nancy's  Creek.  On  Mon 
day,  marching  southward,  about  noon  we  broke  out  of  the 
woodland  and  found  ourselves  upon  the  Atlanta  and  Charles 
ton  railroad,  between  Stone  Mountain  and  Decatur.  The 
division  was  at  once  set  at  work  tearing  up  and  destroying 
the  track.  Thus  far  the  only  opposition  encountered  had 
been  that  of  Wheeler's  cavalry,  which  our  mounted  troops 
and  a  skirmish  line  of  infantry  kept  so  rapidly  in  motion 
that  there  was  little  hindrance  to  the  steady  progress  of  the 
line  of  battle.  On  the  nineteenth,  we  moved  along  the 
railroad  nine  miles  through  the  old-fashioned  tree-embowered 
town  of  Decatur,  opposed  vigorously  but  only  by  cavalry 
and  light-artillery.  The  twentieth  saw  a  continuation  of  the 
same  slow  progress  towards  the  east  of  Atlanta,  the  resist 
ance  becoming  much  more  stubborn,  however,  and  apparently 
supported  by  infantry,  so  that  but  about  three  miles  were 
gained.  Each  night  we  slept  behind  hurriedly  constructed 
rifle-pits,  and  even  the  pickets  in  our  front  had  their  little 
defences  of  rails  or  logs. 


INVESTING    ATLANTA.  335 

We  this  day  learned  that  the  Fabian  policy  of  General 
Johnston,  which  had  for  some  time  been  receiving  sharp 
criticism  from  the  short-sighted,  at  last  had  afforded 
Jefferson  Davis  the  desired  excuse  for  superseding  him  and 
putting  in  his  place  a  more  pugnacious  and  adventurous 
commander.  This  struck  the  self-confident  Union  veterans 
as  rather  good  news  than  otherwise,  for  Johnston's  prudent 
genius  was  far  more  dreaded  by  the  intelligent  than  Hood's 
headlong  dash.  Having  had  enough  of  assaulting,  we  quite 
welcomed  the  prospect  of  seeing  the  rebels  try  the  role  of 
assailants,  and  were  willing  to  waive  formal  notice  of  their 
intentions.  We  had  not  to  wait  long  for  the  new  policy  to 
develop  itself.  In  fact,  that  very  afternoon  the  continuous 
roar  of  artillery  upon  our  right  signaled  the  bloody  repulse 
of  the  new  commander's  first  aggressive  blow.  He  had 
caught  the  right  wing  of  Sherman's  army  while  advancing, 
unsuspicious  but  not  unready,  to  the  south  side  of  Peachtree 
Creek,  'just  where  he  wanted  it,'  and  just  where  his  prede 
cessor,  competent  to  teach  him  strategy,  had  planned  to 
attack;  yet  Victory  had  shown  no  inclination  to  perch  upon 
his  banners. 

The  next  day  it  was  fearfully  hot,  but  the  men  worked 
enthusiastically  to  complete  our  line  of  earthworks,  while 
the  Sixteenth  and  Seventeenth  Corps  were  swinging  around 
to  our  left  with  a  heavy  skirmish  line  fully  occupied  in  their 
front.  There  was  no  attempt  made  to  push  forward  the 
Fifteenth  Corps,  for  neither  the  Twenty-third  on  the  right 
nor  the  Seventeenth  on  the  left  had  come  into  alignment 
with  our  advanced  position,  and  the  Sixteenth  was  at  the 
rear.  Everything  seemed  quiet  from  our  picket  line. 
Indeed,  the  opinion  prevailed  that  we  were  only  held  back 
by  so  obstinate  resistance  to  permit  the  safe  removal  of 
stores  from  Atlanta  preparatory  to  its  evacuation.  This 
idea  seemed  confirmed  on  the  morning  of  July  22d,  when 
the  skirmishers  reported  another  strong  line  of  rifle-pits 
abandoned  in  our  front.  Company  F,  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  was 
sent  forward  to  re-inforce  Companies  D  and  E  of  the  same 
regiment,  then  on  picket  duty,  and  it  was  confidently 
expected  that  they  would  be  in  the  city,  but  two  miles 


336  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

distant,  before  night.  The  picket  line,  however,  after 
advancing  to  the  suburbs  of  the  town  encountered  the 
enemy  and  began  skirmishing.  Here  Sergeant  David  M. 
Crumbaugh  was  brought  to  the  rear  with  a  wound  that 
proved  fatal  some  months  later. 

The  Fifteenth  Corps  was  moved  forward  at  once  to  occupy 
the  deserted  works,  and  instinctively,  without  delay  and  with 
out  orders,  the  men  began  to  improve  and  reconstruct  them 
to  suit  the  altered  ownership.  At  this  critical  time  our  much 
beloved  brigade  leader,  General  Giles  A.  Smith,  was  taken 
from  us,  promoted  to  the  command  of  the  Fourth  division  of 
the  Seventeenth  Army  Corps  vice  General  Gresham,  wounded. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  James  S.  Martin  of  the  One- 
hundred-eleventh  Illinois.  The  morning  had  dawned  bright 
and  beautiful,  after  a  rainy  night.  The  Second  division,  un 
der  General  M.  L.  Smith,  forming  the  centre  of  the  Fifteenth 
Corps,  was  aligned  at  nearly  right  angles  to  the  Charleston 
railway,  which  ran  through  the  works  in  a  deep  cut.  On  the 
north  bank  of  this  cut  was  Illinois  Battery  H,  with  four 
twenty-pounder  Parrott  rifles,  commanded  by  Captain  De 
Gress,  and  on  his  right  General  Lightburn's  brigade.  On  the 
south  bank  was  stationed  Chicago  Battery  A,  with  four  brass 
field-pieces;  at  their  left  was  the  Fifty-seventh  Ohio,  and 
next  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois.  Three  other  regiments  of  the 
brigade  were  in  reserve.  Over  half  a  mile  distant  in  our 
front  were  the  pickets,  and  a  few  rods  in  their  rear  was  a  use 
lessly  strong  support,  consisting  of  two  guns  of  Chicago 
Battery  A,  and  two  regiments  —  one  from  each  brigade  —  the 
Fifty-third  Ohio  and  One-hundred-eleventh  Illinois.  General 
Morgan  L.  Smith,  infatuated  with  the  belief  that  Hood  was 
evacuating  Atlanta  —  a  belief  also  entertained  by  his  superiors 
—  ordered  these  troops  to  push  up  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
fortifications  surrounding  the  city,  expecting  them  to  be  first 
in  the  race  for  entrance.  They  were  posted  in  a  favorable 
position  and  hastily  protected  themselves  with  light  earth 
works.  This  presumption  that  the  Confederates  were  on  the 
point  of  abandoning  Atlanta  led  to  tactical  looseness  in  locat 
ing  the  Federal  troops,  which  before  the  day  closed  had  to 
be  compensated  for  by  extraordinary  fighting. 


THE    BATTLE    OF    ATLANTA.  337 

The  rifle-pits  where  properly  reversed  were  sufficient,  and 
the  position  was  excellent,  commanding  a  wide  open  area. 
But  besides  the  grave  mistake  of  thrusting  the  small  force  of 
artillery  and  infantry  into  an  exposed  position  on  the  picket 
line,  where  they  only  invited  capture  or  destruction,  two  seri 
ous  and  utterly  inexcusable  blunders  of  omission  were  charge 
able  to  some  one  high  in  authority.  The  rank  and  file 
attributed  them,  and  no  doubt  correctly,  to  the  carelessness  of 
General  Morgan  L.  Smith  and  the  incompetency  of  the  brig 
adier  who,  by  virtue  of  seniority,  became  division  commander 
during  the  day,  General  Lightburn.  The  railway  cut  was 
neither  barricaded  nor  guarded,  and  a  large  brick  house 
directly  in  front  of  and  near  the  line  of  Lightburn's  brigade 
was  allowed  to  stand.  Colonel  Jones,  upon  whom  the  com 
mand  of  the  brigade  devolved  about  noon,  is  said  to  have 
asked  authority  to  burn  the  house,  but  his  request  received 
no  attention.  This  negligence  cost  us  dear. 

Not  far  from  twelve  o'clock  heavy  musketry  firing  at  our 
left  and  rear,  and  over  a  long  line,  indicated  that  the  Six 
teenth  and  Seventeenth  Corps  were  hotly  engaged.  It  was 
evident  that  Hood  was  making  a  second  furious  attack,  this 
time  upon  our  left  flank.  For  a  time  the  issue  was  dubious, 
if  not  adverse  to  us,  as  we  could  easily  judge  from  the  vary 
ing  tumult  of  battle.  Now  we  could  tell  that  a  charge  had 
been  repelled,  and  now  the  contest  would  seem  to  be  renewed 
nearer  to  our  rear.  So  far  as  could  be  seen  the  Seventeenth 
Corps,  which  joined  the  Fifteenth  on  the  left,  had  not  been 
driven  from  its  position;  but  the  occasional  rattle  of  musketry 
directly  in  its  rear  was  an  ominous  sound  and  one  which 
we  could  not  understand  until,  after  the  victory,  we  learned 
that  our  old  brigade  commander  with  his  division  had  fought 
the  enemy  from  both  sides  of  his  rifle-pits,  the  assaults  upon 
him  from  front  and  rear  being  so  obligingly  timed  that  he 
could  repel  them  alternately.  Ambulances  were  bringing 
their  groaning  burdens  up  the  roadway  behind  us,  and  staff 
officers  were  galloping  furiously  to  and  fro.  About  two 
o'clock  our  three  reserve  regiments,  with  the  brave  Colonel 
Martin  at  their  head,  were  hurried  away  towards  the  smoke 
of  the  melee  at  the  left.  We  now  formed  but  a  single  thin 
22 


338  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

line,  three  of  our  largest  companies  being  detached  at  the 
front.  Before  leaving  to  re-enforce  the  Sixteenth,  Colonel 
Martin  had  requested  General  Smith  to  recall  the  two  regi 
ments  upon  the  picket  line;  but  this  was  not  done.  Although 
we  did  not  then  know  of  our  misfortune,  our  beloved  young 
general,  McPherson,  had  fallen.  General  Logan  was  in  com 
mand  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  General  M.  L.  Smith 
had  succeeded  him  as  commander  of  the  corps,  and  General 
Lightburn  was  temporarily  placed  over  the  division;  Lieu 
tenant-Colonel  Mott  of  the  Fifty-seventh  Ohio  was  the  senior 
officer  in  command  of  that  part  of  the  First  brigade  in  line. 
No  general,  field  or  staff  officer,  however,  troubled  the  Fifty- 
fifth  with  his  presence  or  his  orders.  In  the  trials  soon  to 
come  we  conquered  all  difficulties,  as  we  fought  at  Shiloh, 
without  interference,  assistance  or  direction  from  any  outside 
party. 

It  was  about  three  o'clock  when,  during  a  seeming  lull  in 
the  conflict  on  the  left,  suddenly  from  our  picket  line  and  the 
supporting  regiments  there  came  to  our  ears  the  brisk  pop 
ping  of  the  skirmishers'  rifles,  followed  by  musketry  volleys 
and  the  rapid  fire  of  the  two  field-pieces.  Quickly  after  in 
came  our  three  companies  and  the  two  regiments  at  headlong 
speed,  while  close  behind  them  Hood's  Corps,  now  led  by 
General  Cheatham,  came  surging  forward,  a  grey  torrent 
pouring  over  the  fields  towards  us.  In  double  line  without 
skirmishers,  the  Confederates  advanced  in  splendid  order, 
the  file  closers  forcing  on  any  disposed  to  lag  behind.  If 
they  had  hoped  to  strike  us  before  we  were  fully  intrenched, 
they  were  much  too  late.  For  the  first  time  in  all  its  history 
the  Fifty-fifth  stood  behind  earth-works  to  meet  a  Confeder 
ate  charge.  On  came  Hood's  brigades  with  the  usual  ear- 
piercing  yell.  Holding  our  fire  until  the  pickets  not  captured 
were  safely  within  our  lines,  our  assailants  were  met  when 
not  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  the  ditch  by  a 
volley  of  bullets  sent  with  a  cool,  steady  aim.  Flags  went 
down,  the  ground  was  strewn  with  dead  and  dying,  and  most 
of  those  left  standing  were  soon  fleeing  pell-mell  from  the 
wrathful  storm  towards  the  city.  Some  of  the  bravest 
plunged  forward  into  the  ditch  under  shelter  of  the  high 


THE  BATTLE  OF  ATLANTA.          339 

parapet,  and  some  hid  behind  stumps  and  trees.  The  regi 
ment,  proudly  exultant,  was  intoxicated  with  the  wine  of 
victory  —  a  victory  gained  with  almost  no  loss  —  and  would 
have  welcomed  the  sight  of  another  such  battle-line,  however 
impetuous  or  persistent,  coming  in  place  of  the  one  it  had 
driven  from  its  front. 

While  our  attention  was  fixed  in  the  direction  of  Atlanta, 
where  the  rebel  officers  were  striving  to  rally  their  men  for  a 
second  charge,  bullets  began  to  whistle  among  us  from  the 
right,  and  an  order  to  fire  to  the  right  oblique  was  passed 
down  the  line  because  of  some  rebel  troops  seen  charging 
along  the  railroad  towards  the  battery.  It  was  too  late.  As 
we  turned  we  could  see  the  rifle-pits  across  the  railway,  where 
Lightburn's  brigade  had  been,  swarming  with  Confederate 
soldiers,  the  battery  captured,  and  hundreds  of  the  enemy 
coming  up  in  serried  ranks  from  out  the  railroad  cut  behind 
our  right  companies.  The  Fifty-seventh  Ohio  whirled  back, 
and  was  gone  into  the  woodland.  There  was  but  one  thing 
to  do,  and  every  intelligent  soldier  knew  without  orders  that 
liberty  depended  upon  a  rapid  movement  to  the  left  rear. 
Captain  Shaw  had  no  time  to  give  orders  for  a  regimental 
change  of  front,  and  nothing  but  confusion  would  probably 
have  resulted  from  such  an  order;  for  a  dense  thicket  cov 
ered  the  slope,  coming  quite  near  to  our  line;  and  even  if 
gifted  with  the  lungs  of  a  Stentor,  his  voice  could  hardly 
have  been  heard  by  all  in  the  din  of  the  fight.  He  gave  the 
best  possible  order  under  the  circumstances:  to  fall  back  by 
companies.  By  command  of  its  officers,  each  company  from 
right  to  left  of  the  regiment  swung  back,  no  two  leaving  the 
works  at  the  same  time,  but  each  going  at  double-quick 
obliquely  to  the  left  rear  of  the  position.  The  cool  and  val 
iant  Lieutenant  Ebersold  —  now  chief  of  police  in  the  city  of 
Chicago  —  was  that  day  commanding  Company  A  upon  the 
right,  and  when  his  fellow-officers  towards  the  left  saw  him 
consenting  to  a  retrograde  movement,  even  though  they 
heard  no  general  order,  they  knew  that  the  withdrawal  was 
not  illconsidered,  nor  blamable  for  unnecessary  caution. 

Plunging,  within  a  few  paces,  into  the  forest  through  which 
ran  a  small  water-course  thick  set  with  tangled  underbrush, 


34°  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

protection  was  at  once  gained,  saving  us  from  an  enfilading 
fire  which  must  otherwise  have  inflicted  fearful  loss;  but 
there  could  be  no  preservation  of  line.  It  was,  however,  no 
senseless  panic.  Every  man  clung  to  his  gun,  and  when  safe 
from  the  enveloping  sweep  of  the  Confederate  flank  assault, 
each  faced  about;  comrade  joined  comrade,  squad  was  added 
to  squad,  and  within  half  an  hour  the  rallied  and  re-formed 
regiment,  by  its  commander's  orders,  began  skirmishing  its 
way  forward. 

A  few  did  not  aid  directly  in  the  first  charge  of  the  main 
body  for  the  recovery  of  the  position,  having  become  sepa 
rated  from  it  by  taking  a  different  course  in  retreat,  but  all 
were  soon  heading  in  the  same  direction.  The  chaplain  had 
fought  in  the  ranks  of  Company  B,  then  commanded  by 
Lieutenant  Eichelbarger,  on  the  extreme  left  of  the  battalion; 
and  from  that  position  the  Confederate  column  sweeping  un 
opposed  up  towards  our  rear  from  the  railway  could  not  be 
seen.  The  lieutenant,  a  fine  officer  and  recklessly  brave, 
hearing  no  order  and  seeing  no  adequate  reason  for  the  aban 
donment  of  the  works,  seems  to  have  been  stung  almost  to 
madness  by  what  he  supposed  a  disgraceful  rout,  and  with 
tears  streaming  down  his  cheeks  begged  his  men  to  stand 
firm.  When  finally  forced  to  retreat,  as  soon  as  he  could 
gather  a  squad  about  him  he  insisted  upon  returning,  and  the 
chaplain,  thinking  from  the  sound  of  musketry  that  the  reg 
iment  was  rallying  at  the  works  again,  consented.  Forming 
the  little  company,  that  had  become  somehow  detached  from 
the  regiment,  into  a  short  skirmish  line,  they  rapidly  ad 
vanced,  only  to  suddenly  find  themselves  in  the  immediate 
presence  of  the  enemy  in  force,  and  in  terrible  danger  of 
death  or  captivity.  A  rebel  soldier  raising  his  gun  ordered 
the  chaplain,  with  an  insulting  oath,  to  surrender.  The  chap 
lain's  musket  was  luckily  loaded  and  cocked,  his  challenger 
was  not  twenty  steps  away,  and  without  waiting  to  aim  he 
fired  and  fled.  The  man  in  grey  had  surrendered  —  his  life. 
Lieutenant  Eichelbarger  was  found  after  the  battle,  near  this 
spot,  shot  through  the  head. 

The  Fourth  division,  under  General  Harrow,  joining  us  on 
the  left,  two  brigades  of  which  had  also  been  obliged  to 


THE    BATTLE    OF    ATLANTA.  34 T 

change  front  to  avoid  the  enfilading  fire,  charged  back  and 
after  a  brisk  fight  drove  the  rebels  over  the  rifle-pits,  at  the 
same  time  that  the  Fifty-fifth  put  its  whole  vigor  into  a 
second  charge  and  recaptured  its  portion  of  the  works,  the 
Fifty-seventh  Ohio  keeping  equal  pace  with  it  on  the  right. 
Just  as  the  regiment  when  at  the  rear  was  moving  forward 
to  this  counter  charge,  a  well-known  form  came  galloping 
furiously  up  the  Decatur  road  on  a  coal-black  charger 
streaked  with  foam,  hatless,  his  long  black  hair  flying,  his 
eyes  flashing  with  wrath  —  a  human  hurricane  on  horseback. 
It  was  "Black  Jack,"  as  the  Illinois  men  were  fond  of  calling 
Logan,  and  rousing  cheers  went  up  as  the  soldiers  recognized 
him  whose  presence  alone  was  a  host.  Behind  him,  coming 
on  the  run,  were  our  reserve  regiments  so  unfortunately 
absent  at  the  critical  moment.  Under  such  inspiriting 
leadership,  re-enforcing  the  rallied  lines  of  Lightburn's  bri 
gade  on  the  right  of  the  railroad,  an  impetuous  charge  was 
made,  the  First  division  sweeping  down  from  the  right  at 
the  same  time,  and*  the  rebels  were  pushed  back  over  the 
intrenchments.  Two  or  three  batteries  on  the  left  of  the 
Twenty-third  Corps  were  now  able  to  pour  in  upon  the  Con 
federate  flank  a  rapid  fire  of  spherical  case  and  canister,  and 
the  rout  was  complete.  All  the  guns  save  the  two  upon  the 
picket  line  were  again  ours.  Captain  DeGress,  who  had  been 
almost  heart-broken  at  the  loss  of  his  battery,  was  soon  hurl 
ing  shell  from  the  recaptured  twenty-pounders  into  the  mob 
of  fugitives. 

The  cause  of  the  temporary  disaster  was  easy  to  see. 
Massing  behind  the  house — which  should  have  been  de 
stroyed  in  the  morning, —  and  in  the  railway  cut — which 
should  have  been  protected  by  a  barricade  and  two  field 
pieces  —  General  Manigault's  brigade  and  the  bravest  of  the 
Confederates  driven  from  our  front,  broke  through  and  out 
flanked  the  weak  line  of  the  Second  brigade,  killed  the 
battery  horses,  captured  the  guns  and  opened  an  enfilading 
musketry  fire  right  and  left.  At  the  same  time  a  large  force 
from  the  railway  cut  swept  round  upon  Battery  A  and  began 
to  envelope  the  fragment  of  the  First  brigade.  If  in  the 
needful  hurry  of  the  movement  this  little  force  of  two  de- 


342  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS    INFANTRY. 

pleted  regiments  did  not  change  front  in  excellent  order 
and  according  to  tactical  rule,  the  exigency  and  the  location 
excused  such  fault,  and  the  promptitude  it  showed  in  re 
forming  and  driving  the  intruders  back,  more  than  atoned 
for  it. 

When  the  regiment  again  stood  aligned  at  the  works,  and 
not  until  then,  was  the  absence  of  the  color-bearer  with  the 
ragged  remnant  of  the  colors  generally  noticed.  After  the 
four  companies  on  the  right  had  moved  to  the  rear,  Lieuten 
ant  Oliver,  the  self-possessed  officer  commanding  the  color 
company,  gave  orders  for  it  to  fall  back,  and  all  seem  to  have 
heard  and  obeyed  save  the  color-sergeant.  In  the  exciting 
whirl  of  events  no  one  appears  to  have  noticed  that  he  was 
remaining  behind.  Not  a  man  of  that  company  but  escaped 
and  came  back  in  the  counter  charge.  After  the  return  of 
the  sergeant  from  captivity,  it  was  ascertained  that  he  did 
not  hear  the  order  to  leave  the  position  nor  understand  the 
reason  for  the  abandonment  of  the  works,  and  therefore 
clung  to  them  almost  alone.  One's  hearing  in  the  hubbub 
of  a  great  battle  is  certainly  not  so  faithful  a  guide,  often,  as 
sight,  and  the  fact  that  company  by  company  the  regiment 
rolled  back  to  the  left  and  rear  was  proof  enough  in  the 
Fifty-fifth  not  only  of  an  order  but  of  intelligent  purpose. 
The  grave  misfortune  was  sorely  felt  throughout  the  regi 
ment,  and  the  more  because  so  entirely  unnecessary  and 
undeserved.  No  one  doubted  for  an  instant  the  personal 
courage  of  the  flag-bearer,  for  that  had  been  fully  tested, 
and  on  more  sanguinary  fields;  but  most  felt  that  he  had 
momentarily  forgotten  that  there  is  a  "better  part"  of  valor 
called  discretion,  as  well  as  that  his  appointed  place  was  in 
the  regimental  line  whichever  way  it  moved,  and  not  behind 
it,  even  in  retreat. 

The  effective  force  of  the  Fifty-fifth  before  this  fight  was 
two  hundred  and  thirty-nine.  The  casualties  reported  were: 
four  killed,  thirteen  wounded  and  sixteen  missing.  One  of 
the  missing,  John  Smith,  was  doubtless  mortally  wounded, 
taken  to  Atlanta,  and  there  died.  The  other  fifteen  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy  and  were  soon  experiencing  the  pri 
vations  of  Andersonville. 


BATTLE    CASUALTIES. 


343 


CASUALTIES    OF    FIFTY-FIFTH     ILLINOIS    VET.    VOLS.    AT 
ATLANTA,  JULY  22,   1864. 

KILLED.  COMPANY.  REMARKS. 

HARVEY  BOLANDER.  A.    Shot  through  the  head. 
GEO.  W.  EICHELBARGER,  ist-lieut.  B.    Shot  through  the  head. 

JAMES  A.  BAINES.  G.     Died  during  amputation  of  leg. 

FRANKIN  L.  KIMBERK,  corporal.  I. 

WOUNDED. 

AARON  LINGENFELTER.  A. 

JOHN  P.  WHEELER,  sergeant.  A. 

JOHN  H.  FISHER,  corporal.  B. 

EARL  P.  GOODWIN.  C. 

SAMUEL  KNIGHT.  D. 


DAVID  MARTIN  CRUMBAUGH,  sergt.  F. 

SAMUEL  FAAS. 

BENNETT  SWEARINGEN. 

FRANCIS  M.  NIKIRK. 

FRANCIS  M.  DENMAN,  corporal. 

HEMAN  F.  HARRIS. 

GEORGE  C.  COY,  corporal. 

WILLIAM  MOUNT. 


CAPTURED. 

ROBERT  R.  ELLIOTT,  sergeant. 
DENNIS  SULLIVAN,  corporal. 
PETER  HIGGINS. 
GEORGE  A.  LEMBKE. 
FRELINGHUYSEN  PARVIN. 
JOHN  SHENEMAN. 
JOHN  LUNDBERG. 
FREDERICK  VEITH. 
JAMES  W.  GAY.  color-sergeant. 
JOHN  SMITH. 
STEPHEN  R.  MALCOLM. 
RICHARD  NEEDHAM. 
CHARLES  D.  RAY. 
JOSEPH  P.  COOMBS. 
JOHN  W.  EDWARDS. 
WILLIAM  E.  MONEYMAKER. 


F. 
F. 
H. 

I. 

I. 
K. 
K. 

B. 
B. 
D. 
D. 
D. 
D. 
E. 
E. 
G. 
H. 

I. 

I. 

I. 
K. 
K. 
K. 


Finger  shot  away. 

In  left  foot. 

Severely,  in  left  thigh. 

In  hand. 

In  neck. 

Mortally,  in  right  thigh. 

In  face. 

In  head. 

Slightly. 

In  left  leg. 

In  right  leg. 

In  left  leg. 

Slightly,  in  hand. 


Captured  on  picket  line, 
do.  do. 


do. 
do. 
do. 


do. 
do. 
do. 


Probably  mortally  wounded. 


James  A.  Baines  was  an  Englishman  of  somewhat  eccen 
tric  disposition,  but  a  kind-hearted  comrade  and  an  excellent 
soldier.  After  the  breaking  of  his  thigh  by  a  bullet,  using 
his  gun  as  a  crutch,  he  pluckily  made  his  way  to  the  hospital 
unaided.  His  leg  was  amputated,  and  he  never  awoke  after 


344  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

the  operation.  Bolander  and  Kimberk  were  patriots,  true- 
hearted  and  brave. 

For  the  four  days  succeeding  the  battle  we  remained  in 
our  position  held  at  such  cost,  burying  the  rebel  dead  and 
rectifying  the  two  lines  of  works.  The  pickets  were  skir 
mishing  continuously  and  artillery  duels  were  kept  up  with 
the  usual  insignificant  results.  The  stench  from  the  bodies 
unburied  before  the  outposts  became  almost  intolerable ; 
indicating  that  the  picket  companies  and  their  support  of 
artillery  and  infantry  had  poured  a  very  effective  fire  into 
the  charging  column  before  they  were  outflanked  and  hurled 
back  in  confusion.  In  the  front  of  our  regimental  line  alone 
seventy-five  dead  Confederates  were  buried.  We  undoubt 
edly  had  put  out  of  the  combat  more  rebels  than  our  whole 
number  present  in  the  battle. 

At  the  first  hour  in  the  morning  of  July  27th,  the  Army 
of  the  Tennessee  was  aroused  and  began  moving  to  the  right 
rear.  It  was  past  three  o'clock  before  the  turn  of  the  Fifty- 
fifth  came  to  take  up  the  route  step.  Through  a  drizzling 
rain  we  marched  around  behind  the  troops  facing  Atlanta 
from  the  north,  passing  corps  after  corps  —  first  the  Twenty- 
third,  then  in  succession  the  Fourth,  Twentieth,  and 
Fourteenth;  and  finally  our  more  intimate  associates  of  the 
Sixteenth  and  Seventeenth  who,  preceding  us,  were  coming 
into  battle  line.  We  found  the  familiar  locomotives  already 
busily  puffing  and  whistling  about  close  to  the  rear  of  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland,  Colonel  Wright  having  rebuilt  the 
great  Chattahoochee  bridge  in  a  single  week.  To  us,  who 
were  near  the  rear  of  the  whole  column,  the  tiresomely  slow 
tramp,  tramp,  hour  after  hour,  seemed  as  though  it  never 
would  end.  Occasionally  the  shells  from  Atlanta  burst  over 
us,  always  harmlessly.  Night  came  down,  but  on  we 
marched,  wet,  hungry,  tired  out.  At  every  little  halt  caused 
by  some  obstruction  to  a  gun  or  caisson  in  the  van,  men 
would  drop  by  the  wayside  and  instantly  fall  so  soundly 
asleep  that  their  comrades  awakened  them  with  difficulty 
when  the  move  began  again.  Thus  the  column  dragged  on 
and  on  until,  when  nearly  eleven  o'clock,  we  were  halted  and 


THE    BATTLE    OF    EZRA    CHURCH.  345 

allowed  to  sleep  upon  our  arms,  having  been  twenty  hours 
on  the  road. 

At  three  the  next  morning  we  were  in  motion  again.  The 
Seventeenth  Corps  gradually  swung  into  line,  facing  Atlanta 
from  the  west,  directly  opposite  the  position  occupied  by  it 
on  the  twenty-sixth  of  the  month,  and  about  the  same  dis 
tance  of  two  miles  from  the  centre  of  the  city  and  the  Macon 
railway.  The  right  of  the  corps  approached  the  cross-roads 
near  Mount  Ezra  Church.  From  that  point  the  Fifteenth 
Corps  began  to  form,  on  an  almost  east  and  west  line,  at 
about  right  angles  with  that  of  the  Seventeenth,  and  parallel 
with  the  Lick-skillet  road.  About  half-past  ten  artillery 
opened  upon  our  front  and  left.  We  had  barely  got  disen 
tangled  at  noon  from  a  labyrinth  of  swampy,  densely-wooded 
ravines,  and  gained  a  favorable  position  upon  a  slight  ridge 
in  a  narrow  belt  of  trees,  when  musketry  fire  began  to  be 
heard,  and  we  could  see  the  grey  legions  in  double  line  of 
battle  bearing  rapidly  down  upon  us.  They  had  nearly 
caught  us  in  air,  and  there  was  no  time  to  use  spade  or  axe 
for  protection.  Even  the  men  of  the  advance  division  had 
barely  opportunity  to  pile  a  few  fence  rails  in  their  front.  The 
Fifty-fifth,  conforming  to  the  nature  of  the  site  and  keeping 
within  the  edge  of  the  timbered  belt,  chanced  to  be  refused 
at  a  considerable  angle  from  the  east  and  west  line  of  battle, 
the  ground  sloping  towards  the  right  of  the  regiment  where 
Company  A  extended  across  a  little  brook.  In  the  ravine  by 
this  run  the  assistant  surgeon  and  his  little  corps  of  helpers 
stationed  themselves.  Beyond  to  the  right  were  two  regi 
ments,  the  One-hundred-sixteenth  Illinois  and  the  Thirtieth 
Ohio,  with  a  section  of  artillery  between  them,  continuing 
the  east  and  west  alignment  for  a  short  distance  in  the  border 
of  the  forest.  The  ground  in  front  was  open  for  several  hun 
dred  yards,  a  part  of  it  being  thickly  set  with  stumps,  and  a 
little  stream  and  a  rail  fence  crossing  it. 

The  two  charging  lines  came  steadily  on,  at  first  without 
firing,  the  sergeants  behind  with  fixed  bayonets  keeping  every 
man  up  to  his  work.  Exposed  to  our  fire  at  long  range, 
scores  were  dropping  under  the  cool  aim  of  marksmen  who 
had  not  lost  the  skill  acquired  by  their  practice  at  Vicksburg. 


346  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

But  the  gaps  were  quickly  closed,  and  the  rapid  step  quick 
ened.  Alone  and  on  foot,  an  almost  exultant  expression 
lighting  up  his  dark  face,  General  Logan  passed  along  behind 
the  line  with  words  of  cheer  on  his  lips:  "Hold  them!  steady, 
boys,  we've  got  them  now."  Yet  that  desperate  wave,  though 
gradually  growing  thin  and  weak,  is  getting  too  near;  it  is 
scarce  eighty  yards  from  the  regiments  on  our  right.  En 
couraged  by  their  general's  presence  these  regiments  increase 
the  rapidity  of  their  fire.  The  Fifty-fifth,  because  of  its  re 
fused  situation,  has  been  necessarily  firing  obliquely  to  the 
left,  but  now  its  guns  completely  enfilade  the  charging  ranks, 
and  we  pour  in  deadly  volleys  at  short  range.  The  ragged, 
dust-colored  lines  become  a  mob,  falter,  turn,  are  gone.  They 
will  come  again,  driven  by  desperate  commanders;  but  a  few 
moments  are*  granted  us,  and  hurriedly  fence-rails,  old  logs, 
stumps  —  anything  which  can  help  stop  a  bullet,  are  brought 
and  piled  along  the  front,  making  a  slight  cover  for  men 
lying  at  full  length.  Two  regiments  from  the  Seventeenth 
Corps,  armed  with  repeating  rifles,  are  hastened  past  our  rear 
to  extend  the  right  flank,  around  which  some  of  the  enemy's 
skirmishers  have  already  advanced,  and  others  are  pushing 
in  alarming  numbers. 

Again  the  well-known  yell;  the  pop-popping  of  the  pre 
liminary  shots;  the  magnificent  on-coming  of  proud  lines 
from  behind  the  opposite  ridge,  with  flag-bearers  seeming  to 
dance  out  defiantly  in  their  front;  the  crash  of  the  volleyed 
musketry;  the  hopeless  struggle,  growing  confusion,  slaugh 
ter,  and  helpless  rout.  The  second  charge  visibly  lacked  the 
verve  and  tenacity  of  the  first,  but  it  was  followed  by  a  third, 
a  fourth,  and  a  fifth,  led  finally  by  the  general  officers  them 
selves;  but  each  was  a  more  dismal  failure  than  the  one  pre 
ceding  it.  One  of  the  most  desperate  was  even  made  in 
column.  About  four  o'clock  the  discouraged  remnants  of 
the  assailing  divisions  withdrew.  We  had  again  met  the 
same  corps,  now  under  General  S.  D.  Lee,  which,  led  by  Gen 
eral  Cheatham,  had  assailed  us  on  the  twenty-second,  and  we 
were  content  with  our  second  revenge  for  the  temporary  dis 
comfiture  of  that  day.  In  the  later  charges  General  Stewart's 
corps  had  also  taken  active  part,  only  to  share  in  the  carnage. 


GENERAL    HOWARD    INTRODUCES    HIMSELF.       347 

The  Fifteenth  Corps  alone  had  been  attacked,  and  had  fought 
its  own  fight;  in  fact  two  divisions  only  had  been  seriously 
engaged. 

The  second  charge  had  hardly  been  fully  repulsed,  occa 
sional  shots  still  coming  from  the  distant  woodland  before 
us,  when  we  heard  cheering  on  our  left,  which  regiment  after 
regiment  in  succession  took  up;  and  soon,  walking  down  the 
front  of  the  line,  came  a  neatly  dressed  officer  of  kindly  face 
and  martial  bearing,  whose  rank  was  shown  by  the  two  stars 
upon  either  shoulder.  The  empty  sleeve  pinned  up  on  his 
right  breast  told  us  it  was  General  O.  O.  Howard,  that  day 
made  chief  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  He  was  intro 
ducing  himself  to  his  new  command  on  the  eve  of  their  first 
victory  under  him.  At  the  hearty  cheer  with  which  he  was 
welcomed  he  said:  "Well,  boys,  I  thought  I  had  seen  fighting 
before;  but  I  never  saw  anything  like  this."  A  little  further 
down  the  line,  pointing  to  a  dying  Confederate  sergeant  who 
had  crept  close  up  to  the  rails,  he  turned  to  the  men  near 
with:  "What!  you  didn't  let  them  get  as  near  as  this,  did 
you?"  Having  been  gone  to  the  right  a  few  minutes,  he  re 
turned  by  the  same  route,  and  as  he  reached  us  again  he 
looked  towards  the  fence  which  ran  across  a  portion  of  the 
field,  along  which  the  grey-coats  lay  thick,  and  said:  "Boys, 
there's  a  line  of  battle  in  your  front."  Some  of  those  near, 
thinking  he  meant  that  the  enemy  were  again  coming,  sprang 
up  with  guns  poised,  when  he  added:  "O,  you  needn't  mind 
it;  it  seems  to  be  a  very  harmless  line  now."  The  favorable 
first  impression  had  been  happily  made,  and  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee  never  had  reason  to  blame  Sherman's  selection  of 
the  man  to  succeed  the  lamented  McPherson.  What  our 
general  thought  of  us  he  told  in  his  endorsement  of  General 
Logan's  report  of  the  battle,  and  in  his  own  congratulatory 
order  at  the  close  of  the  campaign.  From  the  last  is  the 
following: 

*  *  *  My  first  intimate  acquaintance  with  you  dates  from  the 
twenty-eighth  of  July.  I  never  beheld  fiercer  assaults  than  the  enemy 
then  made,  and  I  never  saw  troops  more  steady  and  self-possessed  in 
action  than  your  divisions  which  were  then  engaged. 

I  have  learned  that  for  cheerfulness,  obedience,  rapidity  of  movement 


348  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

and  confidence  in  battle  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  is  not  to  be  surpassed, 
and  it  shall  be  my  study  that  your  fair  record  shall  continue,  and  my  pur 
pose  to  assist  you  to  move  steadily  forward  and  plant  the  old  flag  in  every 
proud  city  of  the  rebellion.  *  *  *  * 

Of  course  when  the  history  of  this  battle  came  to  be 
written,  it  was  announced  that  the  generals  had  fully  antici 
pated  it,  and  planned  for  it.  Of  course  a  special  column  — 
on  this  occasion  General  Davis's  division  —  had  been  sent  by 
another  road  to  the  right,  instructed  to  come  up  providentially 
at  the  crisis  of  the  action,  and  by  a  fierce  flank  attack  com 
bine  with  us  to  utterly  demolish  the  foe.  Of  course,  as  is 
always  the  fact  in  battle  strategy,  the  cooperating  force  got 
lost  in  the  woods  and  failed  to  arrive  until  the  crisis  had  long 
passed.  The  heroism  of  the  assailed  line  was  such  as  to  put 
out  of  account  chance  lack  of  genius  or  disappointment  of 
official  plans. 

All  that  night  we  labored  constructing  works,  expecting 
renewed  assault  at  sunrise,  but  the  punishment  had  been 
sufficient.  Hood's  rash  policy  might  please  the  autocrat  of 
Richmond,  but  rank  and  file  already  showed  grave  signs  of 
mutiny.  A  wounded  Confederate  sergeant  said:  "Our  gen 
eral  told  us  the  Fifteenth  Corps  had  bragged  long  enough 
that  they  had  never  been  whipped,  and  that  today  he  would 
drive  you  to  the  river  or  hell  before  supper."  Acre  upon  acre 
of  the  open  field  lay  before  us  at  daylight  strewn  with  dead 
men,  guns,  accoutrements  and  clothing,  while  dark  spots  of 
clotted  blood  on  the  slopes,  far  and  near,  told  where  in  the 
darkness  friends  had  conveyed  away  the  dead  and  wounded 
they  could  safely  reach,  or  where  our  stretcher  bearers  had 
gathered  groaning  burdens  and  borne  them  to  our  own  hos 
pitals.  Many  a  stump  had  a  dead  soldier  behind  it,  and  some 
even  three.  Along  the  fence  the  rebels  lay  in  a  windrow,  in 
some  places  two  or  three  piled  across  each  other.  A  similar 
swath  left  by  the  reaper  Death  lay  in  the  bed  of  the  little 
rivulet  that  ran  diagonally  by  our  front,  into  which  the 
wounded  had  crept  to  drink  their  last  cooling  draught.  Be 
fore  our  angle  two  great  graves  were  dug;  in  one  were  cov 
ered  fifty-two,  in  the  other  fifty-seven  dead. 

The  effective  force  of  the  Fifty-fifth  in  this  action  was 


THE    BATTLE    CASUALTIES.  349 

one  hundred  and  eighty.     Its  loss  was  five  killed  and  twelve 
wounded. 

CASUALTIES    OF  THE    FIFTY-FIFTH    AT   EZRA  CHURCH, 
JULY    28,  1864. 

KILLED.  COMPANY.  REMARKS. 

JOHN  FUNK,  drummer.  A.  Shot  in  left  side. 

WILLIS  HASTY.  A.  Shot  in  breast. 

JOHN  Q.  A.  CURTISS,  orderly-sergeant.       C.  Shot  through  head. 

OSCAR  JOHNSON,  corporal.  C.  Shot  through  head. 

EDWARD  PHILO.  H.  Spine  pierced  by  bullet. 

WOUNDED. 

ANDREW  J.  LOWDER.  A.  In  left  hand. 

NEWTON  MORGAN.  A.  In  right  hand. 

OCK  PORT.  C.  Mortally,  in  hip. 

CHARLES  R.  NOLING.  C.  In  heel. 

ASA  SCOTT  WRIGHT.  C.  In  left  leg. 

JOHN  WARDEN,  sergeant,  E.  In  left  hand. 

THOMAS  NICHOLS.  E.  In  left  shoulder. 

EDWIN  A.  DEWEY,  corporal.  F.  In  face. 

SAMUEL  LONG,  sergeant.  F.  In  right  arm. 

ALBERT  A.  WHIFFLE,  first-lieutenant.      G.  In  head. 

WILLIAM  H.  LIVERMORE.  H.  Right  leg  amputated. 

JOSEPH  M.  SOWLES,  corporal.  H.  In  right  shoulder. 

Willis  Hasty,  a  soldier  always  unconscious  of  danger,  was 
instantly  killed,  probably  by  a  sharp-shooter,  having  gone 
out  in  advance  of  the  line  after  the  repulse  of  one  of  the 
assaults.  The  little  drummer-boy,  Funk,  a  recent  recruit, 
was  mortally  wounded  while  at  the  rear  on  duty  with  the 
surgeon.  Curtiss  and  Johnson  were  killed  by  the  first  volley 
from  the  enemy,  side  by  side.  Johnson  was  a  model  cor 
poral,  young,  light  hearted,  fun  loving,  and  deservedly 
beloved  by  all  who  knew  him.  Curtiss  was  an  older  man, 
with  a  little  family  in  Illinois.  Two  brothers  of  his  had 
previously  given  their  lives  in  the  war.  He  was  a  kind- 
hearted  comrade,  cool  and  collected  in  battle.  Ock  Port 
was  mortally  wounded  at  night  when  coming  in  with  his 
lieutenant  from  the  picket  line,  by  a  bullet  fired  from  some 
of  our  own  troops.  A  foolish  scare  started  the  men  in  a 
raw  regiment  on  the  right  to  firing,  and  other  troops  heedless 
of  the  fact  that  pickets  were  stationed  in  their  front,  followed 
in  a  general  fusilade,  which  prematurely  ended  the  career 


35°  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

of  as  tidy,  obedient  and  stanch  a  soldier  as  existed  in  the 
Union  army.  Edward  Philo,  an  Englishman  with  all  the 
characteristic  pluck  of  the  race,  was  mortally  wounded  by  a 
bullet  which  fractured  his  spinal  column.  Livermore,  a  boy 
noted  throughout  the  regiment  for  his  irrepressible  jollity 
and  utter  contempt  for  bullets,  lost  his  right  leg.  Most  of 
the  wounds  were  not  severe. 

The  Fifteenth  Army  Corps  was  now  gradually  wheeled 
into  alignment  with  the  rest  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee, 
confronting  new  defensive  works  which  were  diligently 
pushed  southward  by  Hood  to  protect  his  railway  communi 
cations  with  East-Point  junction,  six  miles  from  Atlanta. 
Each  day  some  ground  was  gained,  often  by  a  sudden  dash 
upon  the  rebel  pickets,  who  were  usually  covered  by  little 
lunettes  or  detached  rifle-pits  which,  when  captured,  formed 
the  basis  of  a  new  line  of  offensive  works.  One  serious 
discomfort  nearly  always  attended  the  occupation  of  any 
soil  which  the  Confederate  soldier  had  slept  upon.  Far  less 
solicitous  about  personal  cleanliness  than  our  men — of  the 
Fifty-fifth  at  least  —  curses  loud  and  deep  were  frequently 
heard  in  camp  against  its  late  tenants  for  leaving  a  hungry 
multitude  of  diminutive  pests  behind.  At  some  favorable 
hour,  when  quite  sure  of  no  hostile  interruptions,  the  whole 
line  half  nude  would  become  an  army  of  exploration.  The 
term  "gray-backs"  grew  to  be  used  almost  indiscriminately 
for  the  Southern  soldiers  and  their  inseparable  parasites. 

The  weather  had  grown  intensely  hot  and  it  was  almost 
impossible  to  get  a  sufficient  supply  of  water  even  for  drink 
ing  purposes  within  a  reasonable  distance.  The  men,  finding 
a  swampy  spot,  would  dig  a  hole  three  or  four  feet  deep, 
into  which  perhaps  a  pailful  or  two  of  water  would  leach 
during  twelve  hours;  but  if  the  owners  of  the  little  well 
expected  to  reap  the  full  reward  of  their  labors,  they  gener 
ally  had  to  stand  guard  near  it. 

Our  division  commander,  Morgan  L.  Smith,  had  been 
forced  to  leave  the  field  owing,  it  is  said,  to  the  breaking  out 
of  his  wound  afresh,  and  we  were  again  subjected  to  General 
Lightburn,  the  next  in  rank.  The  effective  force  of  the 
regiment  was  but  one  hundred  and  sixty  men,  but  during  the 


ADVANCING    THE    LINES.  3S1 

first  week  after  the  battle  of  Ezra  Church  it  did  more 
fatigue,  field  and  outpost  duty  than  military  laws  would 
sanction  a  general  in  imposing  upon  a  regiment  of  five 
hundred  effectives,  unless  for  self  preservation.  This  abuse 
of  the  little  battalion,  which  in  the  three  bloody  battles 
fought  within  five  weeks  —  Kenesaw,  Atlanta  and  Ezra 
Church  —  had  stood  always  preeminently  in  the  van  of 
action  leading  the  division,  was.  whether  rightfully  or  wrong 
fully,  charged  upon  the  division  commander's  incompetence 
—  or  worse. 

During  July  3Oth  and  3 1st  we  were  pushing  forward  into 
position  and  constructing  rifle-pits.  Constantly  exposed  to 
the  fire  of  the  sharp-shooters  and  artillery,  our  defensive 
works  became  necessarily  of  very  substantial  character,  with 
heavy  head-logs  and  strong  revetment.  Behind  these  the 
men  lay,  attempting  to  shelter  themselves  somewhat  from 
the  scorching  rays  of  the  midsummer  sun  by  brush  spread 
over  poles  resting  upon  the  parapet.  They  were  often  called 
into  line  by  sudden  alarms,  and  kept  constantly  on  the  alert, 
expectant  of  assault.  During  the  night  of  August  1st  the 
Fifty-fifth  was  moved -forward  a  half-mile  or  more,  and  built 
earth-works  twice  the  length  of  its  own  battle  front,  on  what 
had  been  the  Union  picket  line,  the  rebel  outposts  being 
but  a  very  short  distance  from  us.  Not  permitted  to  enjoy 
the  protection  we  had  perfected,  when  the  main  line  was 
moved  forward  on  the  afternoon  of  August  2d  the  regiment 
was  pushed  to  the  right  and  again  had  to  work  all  night  to 
intrench  itself,  plying  axe  and  spade  while  other  troops 
rested  behind  the  barricades  we  had  erected.  The  advance 
of  the  Twenty-third  Corps  this  day  appeared  coming  into 
position  on  our  right,  but  on  a  line  refused  at  a  large  angle 
from  ours. 

August  3d  an  attempt  was  made  in  the  morning,  by  a  gen 
eral  advance  of  the  Second  brigade,  to  drive  the  rebel  pickets 
from  their  trenches  and  hold  them  for  our  own  picket  line. 
The  movement  met  with  temporary  success,  but  gained 
nothing;  the  Confederates  being  able  safely  to  outflank  the 
position,  so  long  as  the  Twenty-third  Corps  did  not  advance 
within  supporting  distance.  The  rebel  skirmishers  were  soon 


352  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

back  in  their  riile-pits  again,  were  heavily  re-enforced,  and 
were  more  annoying  than  before.  In  the  afternoon  the  at 
tempt  was  repeated  all  along  the  whole  division  line,  but 
failed  to  win  a  foot  of  ground.  The  Fifty-fifth  was  then  sent 
for  to  report  to  General  Lightburn,  and  marching  to  the  left 
a  short  distance  from  its  place  in  the  line,  the  senior  officer 
commanding,  Captain  Shaw,  found  the  general  crouched 
close  behind  the  parapet,  and  reported  for  orders.  Pointing 
to  an  aid,  the  general  said,  "You  will  receive  your  instructions 
from  Lieutenant  —  — ."  The  officer  designated  climbed  over 
the  works  with  the  captain  and  the  regiment  was  ordered  to 
follow.  We  passed  across  an  open  field  into  a  piece  of  wood 
land  where  the  bullets  began  to  whistle  about  unpleasantly 
near,  and  the  aid  from  behind  a  tree,  pointing  to  a  little  ele 
vation  further  to  the  left  front  in  an  open,  grassy  field,  said: 
'•  The  general  wants  you  to  take  that  hill  and  hold  it."  Then 
he  sped  back  over  the  parapet  into  safety,  and  Captain  Shaw 
quietly  gave  the  necessary  orders  and  led  the  charge. 

The  point  to  be  gained  was  about  three  hundred  yards  in 
advance  of  the  main  Union  line,  and  about  the  same  distance 
from  the  intrenched  position  of  the  enemy.  The  advance 
was  gallantly  made  across  open  ground,  the  whole  of  which 
was  swept  by  an  enfilading  fire  from  the  skirmishers  in  the 
rifle-pits  on  the  right.  The  rebel  batteries  in  the  main  line 
also  kept  up  a  vigorous  bombardment  of  the  position  we 
were  aiming  to  reach.  The  summit  was  speedily  gained  and 
with  an  astonishingly  small  loss;  for  experience  had  taught 
the  veterans  how  to  move  rapidly  while  hugging  the  ground 
closely,  and  to  take  the  utmost  advantage  of  every  inequality. 
The  grass,  moreover,  though  scanty  was  tall  enough  to  seri 
ously  interfere  with  the  rebels'  aim.  Upon  arrival  at  the 
desired  point  a  few  minutes  sufficed  to  dig  burrows  for  indi 
vidual  protection.  We  lay  upon  face  or  back  in  the  roasting 
rays  of  the  afternoon  sun,  slowly  sinking  ourselves  into  shal 
low  pits  to  avoid  the  shower  of  balls  that  hissed  a  foot  or  two 
above  us;  and  when  darkness  came  these  little  pits  were 
enlarged  into  a  continuous  trench  with  a  traverse  embank 
ment  upon  the  exposed  flank.  We  labored  as  for  our  lives 
all  night,  momentarily  expecting  an  attempt  of  the  enemy 


AN    INSANE    ORDER.  353 

to  dislodge  us,  and  amazed  that  no  troops  were  sent  either  to 
support  or  relieve  us. 

Here  the  morning  of  August  4th  found  us,  less  than  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men  all  told,  isolated  about  midway  be 
tween  our  own  and  Hood's  main  lines,  receiving  the  enemy's 
infantry  and  artillery  fire  from  elaborate  works  in  front  and 
on  the  right,  with  no  possible  shelter  between  us  and  those 
works.  The  men  were  so  utterly  exhausted  with  continuous 
toil  and  three  nights'  watchfulness,  that  they  were  continually 
dropping  asleep.  Captain  Shaw  was  sick  with  a  malarial 
attack ;  we  were  all  half  roasted  with  the  heat  of  the  sun, 
consumed  with  thirst,  and  unable  to  properly  prepare  our 
food.  Our  ammunition  was  reduced  to  less  than  twenty 
rounds  per  man.  The  afternoon  came  and  yet  no  relief. 
Suddenly  we  saw  two  officers  coming  from  the  rear  across 
the  field  we  had  charged  over  the  day  before,  running  with 
bodies  bent  low  as  though  they  found  something  unpleasant 
in  the  upper  air.  It  proved  to  be  Lieutenant-Colonel  Mott 
of  the  Fifty-seventh  Ohio,  and  Lieutenant  Martin,  aid  of  the 
brigade  commander,  Colonel  Theodore  Jones.  Lieutenant 
Martin  brought  orders  to  Captain  Shaw  to  advance  in  front 
of  our  works,  saying  that  the  Fifty-seventh  Ohio  would  sup 
port  us  on  the  right. 

Astonished  at  so  insane  an  order,  which  could  only  mean 
useless  murder,  Captain  Shaw  briefly  called  the  aid's  atten 
tion  to  the  condition  and  position  of  the  regiment,  and  asked 
that  the  facts  be  reported  to  Colonel  Jones  and  General 
Lightburn.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Mott  asking  Shaw  if  he  re 
fused  to  go  forward,  he  replied  that  he  could  not  order  his 
men  to  advance  in  their  exhausted  state  until  he  heard  again 
from  the  brigade  commander.  Then  Mott  suggested  in  a 
subdued  tone  that  a  command  from  Captain  Shaw  to  his  men 
to  advance  would  cover  the  requirements  of  the  order.  To 
this  the  Captain  replied  firmly:  "I  shall  never  give  a  com 
mand  to  this  regiment  that  I  do  not  wish  and  expect  them  to 
obey."  This  ended  the  interview,  and  Captain  Shaw  and  his 
fellow  officers  who  had  heard  the  conversation,  awaited 
events,  never  suspecting  that  he  was  to  be  reported  as  diso 
bedient  and  chargeable  with  misbehavior  before  the  enemy, 
23 


354  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS    INFANTRY. 

because  he  had  suggested  that  the  nerve  and  muscle  of  the 
Fifty-fifth  were  insufficient  to  endure  four  days  and  nights 
consecutively  of  toil  and  sleeplessness.  Several  compara 
tively  fresh  regiments,  double  ours  in  numbers,  lay  at  ease  in 
the  breastworks  we  had  built. 

No  return  message  came,  but  the  charge  was  sounded  and 
the  Fifty-seventh  Ohio  attempted  to  advance  through  the 
woods  from  the  rear  upon  our  right,  and  the  One-hundred- 
twenty-seventh  Illinois  made  a  feeble  effort  to  move  forward 
at  our  left.  Captain  Shaw  instructed  his  command  to  be 
ready  to  join  the  Fifty-seventh  if  they  came  near  the  line  of 
our  position.  But  the  spirit  and  bravery  that  generally  dis 
tinguished  our  comrades  of  the  gallant  Ohio  regiment  could 
not  make  headway  against  the  storm  it  encountered.  The 
slow  advance  of  the  Twenty-third  and  Fourteenth  Corps, 
outflanking  the  strong  advanced  posts  of  the  rebels  on  our 
right,  finally  on  August  ^th  effected  what  General  Lightburn 
had  proposed  that  three  or  four  hundred  men  should  do  by 
assault  in  front,  where  a  division  had  failed.  After  dark  the 
Fifty-fifth  was  at  length  retired  to  the  main  line,  when  Cap 
tain  Shaw  was  placed  in  arrest  for  disobedience  of  orders. 
He  never  was  allowed  opportunity  to  seek  justification 
through  trial  by  court-martial,  never  permitted  to  offer  ex 
cuse,  although  every  officer  in  his  command  could  testify 
that  he  neither  disobeyed  any  command  nor  attempted  to 
avoid  any  military  duty,  but  sought  to  convey  to  his  superior 
officer  information  which  he  was  charitably  supposed  not  to 
possess,  knowledge  that  for  the  safety  of  the  army  ought  to 
modify  the  order.  But  he  had  been  reported  to  General 
Lightburn  as  refusing  to  make  the  advance,  and  was  sum 
marily  dismissed  from  the  service,  "for  misbehavior  before 
the  enemy,"  by  General  Field  Order  No.  9,  of  General  O.  O. 
Howard,  dated  August  11,  1864.  His  fellow  officers,  aston 
ished  and  grieved,  at  once  circulated  the  following  petition 
among  the  commissioned  officers  of  the  brigade  present,  and 
forwarded  it  through  the  proper  channels  to  the  President : 


CAPTAIN    SHAW'S    DISMISSAL.  355 

IN  THE  FIELD  BEFORE  ATLANTA,  GA., 
August  16,  1864. 

To  His  Excellency,  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN, 

President  of  the  United  States. 

SIR  :  Having  been  surprised  at  the  recent  dismissal  of  Captain 
Francis  H.  Shaw,  55th  Illinois  Infantry,  from  the  service  of  the  United 
States,  and  fearing  from  his  well-known  modesty  that  he  will  fail  to  place 
before  your  excellency,  in  any  form,  words  of  explanation  or  defence,  and 
believing  the  punishment  he  has  already  undergone  sufficient  to  palliate 
the  offence  given,  we  entertain,  through  your  clemency,  the  hope  of  sav 
ing  the  reputation  of  a  noble  patriot,  and  restoring  at  once  to  the  service 
a  useful  officer.  With  this  desirable  object  before  us,  we  would  beg  leave 
to  be  heard  in  the  following  statements  : 

Captain  Shaw  was  a  valued  citizen  of  Mendota,  Illinois,  engaged  at 
the  opening  of  the  war  in  a  lucrative  business,  and  tendered  his  services 
to  the  government  as  a  private  August  26,  1861.  He  was  elected  first- 
lieutenant  of  Company  D,  55th  Illinois  Infantry,  and  afterward  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  captain  for  distinguished  services  on  the  field  of  Shiloh, 
where  he  was  wounded  in  battle.  Since  his  promotion  he  has  ever  been 
considered  a  first-class  company  commander,  which  the  superiority  of  his 
company  and  commendatory  orders  will  abundantly  prove.  He  has 
shared  with  his  regiment,  once  proud  and  strong,  but  now  reduced  to  a 
fragment,  in  all  the  hardships  which  have  thus  reduced  it.  On  the  6th  of 
April,  1864,  he  was  elected  by  an  overwhelming  majority  of  his  regiment 
to  serve  with  the  rank  of  major  for  its  veteran  term,  said  election  having 
been  authorized  by  commanders  from  Major-General  Sherman  down. 
On  the  death  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Augustine,  elect,  he  was  recently 
presented  to  Governor  Yates  for  promotion  to  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel, 
by  the  unanimous  voice  of  the  commissioned  officers  of  the  55th  Illinois 
Infantry,  and  was  commanding  the  regiment  with  the  confidence  of  both 
officers  and  men  when  arrested  and  dismissed. 

The  offence  leading  to  such  action  in  his  case  was  as  hereinafter  set 
forth.  Having  passed  through  the  battles  of  the  22d  and  28th  of  July, 
the  men  of  his  command  were  pressed  forward  in  the  construction  of 
new  lines  of  defence,  until  the  utmost  weariness  prevailed.  On  the  3d 
inst.  he  was  ordered  to  advance  his  command  to  the  summit  of  a  small 
hill,  which  was  known  to  be  a  hazardous  undertaking.  The  order  was 
executed,  the  hill  taken,  and  fortified  at  night  by  his  wearied  men,  with  a 
loss  of  two  killed  and  three  wounded,  including  a  lieutenant.  On  the 
afternoon  of  the  4th,  he  was  directed  by  Colonel  Mott,  57th  regiment 
Ohio  volunteers,  to  advance  across  a  ravine  to  a  hill  beyond,  to  which 
Captain  Shaw  responded  that  his  men  had  been  three  nights  and  four 
days  without  relief  or  sleep,  and  it  would  be  impossible  to  keep  them 
awake  the  fourth  night  if  the  advance  post  could  be  taken,  and  further 
urged  that  his  position  in  line  was  in  advance  of  all  others,  and  already 
exposed  to  an  enfilading  fire  of  the  enemy,  and  also  stated  that  the  am- 


356  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

munition  of  the  command  was  nearly  exhausted,  but  twenty  rounds 
remaining  to  the  man,  and  that  there  was  no  time  to  procure  a  supply. 
On  being  asked  by  Colonel  Mott,  "Will  you,  or  will  you  not,  go  forward?" 
he  responded,  "Under  the  present  circumstances,  I  cannot  order  my  men 
forward,"  and  turning  to  an  aid  of  Colonel  Jones,  his  brigade  commander, 
he  said,  "  I  wish  Colonel  Jones  to  understand  the  condition  of  my  men,', 
supposing  the  order  could  be  delayed  until  the  information  could  be  given. 
It  was  reported  to  Brigadier-General  Lightburn,  commanding  the  division, 
that  he  had  refused  to  advance,  and  Captain  Shaw,  with  his  command, 
was  ordered  to  the  rear,  and  he  under  arrest.  The  effort  was  made  to 
advance  the  line,  but  failed,  as  Captain  Shaw  maintained  would  be  the 
case,  until  the  rebel  picket  posts  on  our  right  were  driven  in,  which  was 
done  four  days  afterwards. 

The  attention  of  your  excellency  is,  therefore,  called  to  the  following 
points  : 

I.  The  integrity,  ability  and  faithfulness  of  the  defendant,  who  has 
served  three  years  without  a  single  failure. 

II.  The  known  condition  of  his  men  at  the  time  the  order  was  given, 
having  at  the  end  of  two  months'  campaign,  which  had  wasted  more  than 
one-third  of  their  number,  been  three  nights  and  four  days  without  sleep, 
incessantly  engaged  in  the  trenches  or  in  the  fight,  so  that  the  previous 
night  it  was  with  difficulty  the  men  could  be  kept  from  falling  down  at 
their  posts  and  endangering  the  whole  command.     Captain  Shaw  might 
be  justified  in  hesitating  to  place  them  the  fourth  night  where,  on  their 
vigilance,  was  suspended  the  safety  of  the  line,  and  where  they  would 
have  been  compelled  to  lie  on  their  faces  till  the  ensuing  morning. 

III.  The  duties  required  could  only  be  accomplished  by  an  energetic, 
powerful  force,  as  was  proved  by  the  failure  of  the  force  that  tried  it. 

IV.  Captain  Shaw  did  not  contemplate  direct  disobedience  of  orders, 
but  hoped  to  stay  the  action  till  the  facts  could  be  known  and  compara 
tively  fresh  troops,  which  were  near,  could  be  called  to  the  rescue  of  his 
haggard  band. 

This  petition  never  reached  President  Lincoln.  It  was 
signed  by  fifty  officers,  including  all  present  in  the  Fifty-fifth 
and  those  most  prominent  of  the  Sixth  and  Eighth  Missouri, 
Fifty-seventh  Ohio,  One-hundred-eleventh,  One-hundred- 
sixteenth  and  One-hundred-twenty-seventh  Illinois  regiments. 
Colonel  James  S.  Martin,  who  himself  had  been  severely  cen 
sured  by  Lightburn  for  the  failure  on  August  3d,  in  append 
ing  his  signature,  added : 

I  was  not  present  when  Captain  Shaw  was  ordered  to  advance  his  reg 
iment,  consequently  know  nothing  of  the  circumstances,  but  will  say  that 
I  have  served  with  Captain  Shaw  during  the  campaign,  a  short  time  as 
his  brigade  commander.  I  never  knew  a  more  efficient  or  better  officer; 


PETITION    TO    CONGRESS.  357 

always  prompt  to  obey  orders,  and  never  faltering  in  the  fight.  The  gal- 
hint  conduct  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  in  the  past  four  fights  gives  them  a 
reputation  which  none  can  injure. 

The  grievously  wronged  captain,  indignant  but  helpless, 
too  modest  to  push  his  claims  for  redress  in  person,  and  hav 
ing  no  political  influence  in  high  places,  left  for  his  home 
immediately,  followed  by  the  sympathy  of  every  man  in  the 
regiment.  For  twenty  years  he  bore  in  silence  this  unmer 
ited  stain  upon  his  record.  Generals  convicted  by  unanimous 
verdict  of  court-martial,  colonels  who  ran  away  at  first  sight 
of  an  armed  enemy,  post-commanders  who  basely  surren 
dered  their  trusts,  had  time  and  again  been  reinstated  with 
purged  records;  but  it  is  a  far  more  difficult  matter  to  get 
even  justice,  for  the  innocent  victim  of  an  arbitrary,  acci 
dental  brigadier.  On  October  3<Dth,  1884,  the  survivors  of 
the  Fifty-fifth  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers  met  for  their  first 
reunion  at  Canton,  Illinois.  They  unanimously  resolved  to 
again  attempt  to  secure  a  reversal  of  this  undeserved  and 
summary  order  of  dismissal.  The  action  of  the  meeting 
took  form  in  resolutions  and  a  petition,  which  with  the  early 
documents  in  the  case,  and  affidavits  of  certain  surviving 
officers,  were  presented  to  Congress.  The  petition  was  as 
follows : 

To  THE  HONORABLE  SENATORS  AND  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES : 

The  subscribers  and  petitioners  respectfully  represent  that  they  are 
survivors  of  the  55th  Regiment  Illinois  Infantry,  assembled  at  the  first 
reunion  of  that  regiment,  held  at  Canton,  Illinois,  on  October  30  and  31, 
1884;  that  they  are  past  middle  life,  and  almost  without  exception  bear 
the  marks  of  wounds  received  in  battle,  and  have  tried,  with  measurable 
success,  to  perform  the  duties  of  good  soldiers  and  citizens;  that  fully  be 
lieving  and  asserting  the  right  of  petition,  they  present  the  following,  and 
confidently  ask  for  relief  as  hereinafter  explained  —  not  as  a  favor,  but 
of  right. 

What  we  ask  is  that  an  act  of  Congress  may  be  passed  authorizing 
the  honorable  discharge  or  muster  out  of  Captain  Francis  H.  Shaw,  for 
merly  captain  of  Company  C,  of  the  55th  Illinois  Infantry,  who  was,  on 
the  nth  day  of  August,  1864,  dismissed  from  the  service  for  misbehavior 
before  the  enemy.  Such  dismissal  was  by  a  summary  order,  and  without 
any  defence,  or  opportunity  of  defence,  on  the  part  of  Captain  Shaw.  It 
is  because  we  believe  and  know  that  such  order  was  unjust,  and  based 
upon  a  misconception  of  the  facts,  that  we  ask  at  the  hands  of  Congress  the 


FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

relief  prayed  for.  Captain  Shaw  was  our  comrade  in  arms,  and  the  most 
knightly  among  us.  He  shared  with  us  for  three  years  privations  and 
dangers  only  known  to  those  who  fought  in  the  war  of  the  rebellion, 
always  alike  conspicuous  for  his  modesty  and  bravery.  It  is  incompre 
hensible  that  our  comrade  should  pass  through  scores  of  contests,  should 
face  the  storms  of  battle  until  his  regiment  was  reduced  to  a  fragment, 
and  then  wilfully  misbehave  in  the  presence  of  the  enemy.  The  state 
ment  of  the  proposition  completely  disproves  the  justice  of  the  punish 
ment.  Now,  after  the  fifth  of  a  century  has  passed  into  history,  and  the 
smoke  of  battle  cleared  away,  we  simply  ask  that  the  stain  be  removed 
from  the  name  of  Captain  Shaw,  and  the  escutcheon  of  our  regiment. 
These  proceedings  are  instituted  at  our  own  behest,  and  without  the  pres 
ence  or  influence  of  Captain  Shaw,  who  barely  consents  to  our  action. 
Nothing  herein  is  intended  or  expected  to  result  in  any  cost  to  the  gov 
ernment.  No  pay  or  emolument  is  asked  for — just  simply  that  Captain 
Shaw  be  placed  right  upon  the  record,  and  his  fame  descend  to  his  chil 
dren  unsullied. 

For  the  purpose  of  establishing  the  justice  of  our  position,  and  the 
truths  of  the  facts  alleged,  we  append  certain  affidavits.  Also  a  copy  of 
a  petition  filed  by  fifty  officers  of  the  brigade,  when  the  action  complained 
of  was  pending. 

Upon  the  honor  of  soldiers  and  citizens,  we  attach  our  personal  signa 
tures  hereto,  and  respectfully  ask  that  our  prayer  may  be  granted. 

[Signed  by  eighty-eight  surviving  officers  and  men  of  the  55th  Regi 
ment  Illinois  Infantry.] 

In  the  Forty-eighth  Congress  a  bill  was  introduced  by 
Hon.  R.  R.  Hitt,  M.  C.  of  Illinois,  directing  the  honorable 
discharge  and  muster-out  of  Captain  Shaw,  and  the  Commit 
tee  on  Military  Affairs  recommended  its  passage.  The  able 
and  comprehensive  report  of  that  committee,  after  showing 
that  all  the  facts  of  record  serve  to  "strongly  rebut  the 
presumption  of  disobedience,"  goes  on  to  say: 

"The  clear,  strong,  and  preponderating  evidence  of  his  brother 
officers  shows  that  what  he  did  was  not  to  refuse  obedience,  but  to  ask 
that  execution  might  be  withheld  until  the  brigade  commander  should  be 
advised  of  the  facts  known  to  him,  and  thus  he  ( Shaw )  be  relieved  of 
the  responsibility  of  allowing  a  general  to  put  troops  in  a  position  of 
great  importance  who  were  totally  unfit  by  reason  of  long  exposure  and 
exhaustion  for  that  position  —  a  construction  of  his  conduct  more  con 
sistent  with  his  established  military  record  than  that  conceived  in  great 
haste  by  the  general  in  command  upon  the,  probably,  fragmentary  report 
of  a  lieutenant  of  staff.  *  *  * 

While  this  committee  have  in  mind  the  stern  requirements  of  disci 
pline,  they  have  no  less  in  mind  the  stern  requirements  of  justice,  and 


CAPTAIN    SHAW    VINDICATED.  359 

do  not  look  with  favor  upon  the  summary  dismissal  of  a  gallant  officer 
without  his  '  day  in  court.' 

The  exigencies  of  the  service  may  have  denied  to  this  officer  the 
right  of  trial  by  court-martial,  but  they  did  not  deny  to  him  the  justice  of 
a  hearing,  or  to  the  general  commanding  the  wisdom  of  considering 
both  sides  of  a  case." 

Not  reaching  a  vote  in  the  Forty-eighth,  the  bill  was 
again  introduced  in  the  Forty-ninth  Congress,  and  passed 
the  House  of  Representatives  without  a  dissenting  voice. 
February  7th,  1887,  it  was  passed  by  the  Senate,  and  the 
President  approved  it  on  the  twenty-first  of  the  month. 

It  is  fitting  that  there  should  be  put  upon  record  here 
acknowledgment  of  the  great  obligation  felt  by  the  sur 
vivors  of  the  Fifty-fifth  to  the  Hon.  R.  R.  Hitt,  and  to  the 
Hon.  Shelby  M.  Cullom  of  Illinois,  champion  of  their  cause 
in  the  United  States  Senate. 

For  two  or  three  days  after  the  regiment  was  relieved 
from  the  advanced  position  it  had  won,  it  was  stationed  in 
the  main  line  of  rifle-pits,  constantly  under  fire  of  both 
artillery  and  musketry,  and  daily  sending  large  details  for 
picket  duty.  The  Fourteenth  and  Twenty-third  Corps  were 
gradually  working  into  line  on  our  right  flank,  making  noise 
enough  daily  for  a  bloody  battle.  On  the  morning  of 
August  8th,  long  before  dawn,  we  were  ordered  to  the  front 
to  reverse  the  earth-works  from  which  the  rebel  pickets  had 
been  at  last  flanked.  After  twenty-four  hours  of  outpost 
duty,  we  were  relieved  by  another  regiment.  In  the  night 
of  August  Qth  we  again  went  to  the  front  and  completed  the 
works  we  had  begun,  and  the  division  moved  forward  to 
occupy  them.  Here  we  remained  several  days.  The  rebel 
artillery  persistently  shelled  the  line  and  casualties  occurred 
almost  daily.  On  the  tenth,  George  W.  Curfman  was 
wounded  by  a  bullet  which  came  under  the  head-log.  On 
the  twelfth,  Daniel  S.  Burke,  an  excellent  young  soldier,  was 
shot  through  the  heart,  and  Sergeant  Derrick  Fryer  was 
wounded.  On  the  thirteenth,  George  W.  Sitler  was  killed, 
and  the  next  day  John  Jackson  and  Thomas  Wilson  were 
wounded.  The  pickets  began  to  make  friendly  agreements 
with  each  other,  and  finally  bargained  to  abstain  from  firing. 


360  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

When  the  rebel  officers  did  not  interfere  to  prevent,  they 
would  meet  and  interchange  commodities  or  talk  over  the 
situation. 

August  1 7th  the  division  received  a  new  commander,  in 
the  person  of  Brigadier-General  William  B.  Hazen,  from  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland,  a  West  Point  officer.  General 
Lightburn  returned  to  his  brigade,  but  on  the  eighteenth  was 
found  by  a  stray  bullet,  slightly  wounded  in  the  head,  and 
went  North  within  a  week  thereafter.  General  Hazen  in  "A 
Narrative  of  Military  Service,"  speaks  of  his  new  command 
thus : 

"  I  was  assigned  to  the  Second,  Sherman's  old  division,  which  fought 
under  him  at  Shiloh,  and  had  since  been  under  McPherson,  Blair,  and 
other  able  and  favorite  officers.  But  recently  it  had  been  unfortunate. 
Under  General  Morgan  L.  Smith,  on  the  day  of  McPherson's  death,  it 
was  badly  broken,  and  considerably  damaged.  Lightburn  afterward 
commanded  it,  and  at  an  affair  of  pickets  a  few  days  before  my  assign 
ment  to  it,  there  was  great  complaint  of  misconduct,  and  one  of  the 
brigade  commanders  —  Colonel  Martin  of  the  One-hundred-eleventh 
Illinois,  a  most  worthy  man  —  was  seriously  blamed,  and  unjustly  so,  as  I 
afterwards  learned.  *****  The  condition  of  the  division  at  this 
time  was  deplorable." 

Judicious  orders  needed  to  raise  the  division  to  its  normal 
standard  of  discipline  and  administration  were  at  once  pub 
lished.  Something  may  be  judged  of  the  unwholesome 
nature  of  previous  management  by  the  fact  that  the  first 
effect  of  these  orders  was  to  increase  within  a  week's  time 
the  effective  men  with  muskets  from  seventeen  hundred  to 
over  twenty-one  hundred.  The  general  writes : 

From  the  first,  there  was  the  most  hearty  desire  upon  the  part  of  all 
officers  to  aid  these  reforms,  and  they  were  successfully  carried  out.  *  * 
*  *  the  men  and  officers  were  both  admirable.  *  *  * 

August  1 8th  and  igth  noisy  and  ostentatious  demonstra 
tions  were  made  all  along  the  line ;  colors  were  displayed, 
the  artillery  began  a  furious  fire,  the  regiments  cheering 
jumped  upon  the  works,  and  the  skirmishers  moved  forward, 
as  though  to  assault.  The  rebel  pickets  at  some  points  were 
deceived  by  the  feint  and  ran  back.  In  this  way  our  picket 
line  made  some  slight  advance,  but  nothing  else  of  impor- 


LETTER    TO    THE    GOVERNOR.  36]C 

tance  was  effected,  save  the  unmasking  of  three  batteries  in 
our  division  front.  During  the  night  of  the  twenty-second 
the  regiment  moved  a  short  distance  in  advance  to  construct 
field-works,  and  we  were  busily  cutting  down  trees  and  con 
veying  the  logs  to  the  new  line,  when  a  battery  opposite 
hurled  five  shells  in  quick  succession  so  skilfully  directed 
and  timed  that  they  all  burst  over  or  in  the  midst  of  the 
working  party.  There  was  a  sudden  dropping  of  logs  and 
tools,  and  a  general  seeking  of  shelter.  But  when  the  con 
fusion  was  over  it  was  found  that,  singularly  enough,  only 
one  man  had  been  injured.  Gillis  Woolner,  a  German  re 
cruit,  one  of  a  dozen  who  were  carrying  a  tree  trunk  towards 
the  barricade,  was  struck  in  the  face  by  a  mass  of  iron  that 
scattered  brains  and  fragments  of  skull  all  around.  The 
guns  had  doubtless  been  trained  upon  the  spot  before  dark, 
for  the  work  went  on  that  night  without  further  interruption. 
At  this  place  there  came  from  the  Governor  of  Illinois,  in 
reply  to  the  application  for  commissions  given  under  date  of 
July  8th,  the  unexpected  information  that  Major  Heffernan 
had  sought  for  promotion  in  the  regiment,  ignoring  the 
agreement  made  with  the  re-enlisted  veterans.  As  he  had 
been  absent  from  the  command  six  months,  although  in  per 
fect  health,  and  was  known  to  hold  an  agreeable  and  respon 
sible  command  in  Illinois,  this  news  awakened  acrimonious 
feelings,  in  the  full  heat  of  which  the  following  document 
was  signed  and  forwarded : 

HEADQUARTERS  55™  REGT.  ILL.  INFTY.,  ) 

CAMP  BEFORE  ATLANTA,  GA.,  August  20,  1864. ) 
To  His  Excellency,  RICHARD  YATES, 

Governor  of  Illinois. 

SIR:  Having  forwarded  to  you  in  good  faith  and  with  the  approval 
of  our  commanding  general,  the  names  of  sundry  officers  and  non-com 
missioned  officers  for  promotion  in  several  companies  in  our  regiment, 
and  having  recommended  Captain  Francis  H.  Shaw  for  promotion  to  the 
lieutenant-colonelcy,  in  accordance  with  the  principles  upon  which  the 
55th  Regt.  111.  Infty.  re-enlisted,  and  with  the  approval  aforesaid;  being 
without  a  regimental  commander  and  having  less  than  one  commissioned 
officer  to  each  company,  midst  the  most  perilous  struggles  of  the  war,  we 
have  waited  under  circumstances  of  great  trial  for  your  response  to  our 
wishes.  At  length  it  has  come  through  Adjutant-General  Fuller,  in  his 
communication  dated  July  27th,  1864.  Passing  in  silence  our  recommen- 


362  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

dations  for  company  promotions,  you  urge  as  the  reason  for  delay  in 
commissioning  our  chosen  regimental  commander,  "that  as  Major  James 
J.  Heffernan  does  not  appear  to  have  agreed  to  submit  his  claims  for  pro 
motion  to  an  election,  he  is  not  bound  by  it,  and  therefore  action  on  said 
recommendation  is  suspended  until  you  are  again  heard  from  on  the 
subject." 

In  accordance  with  your  request,  we,  the  undersigned  commissioned 
officers  of  the  55th  Illinois  Infty.  Vols.,  would  set  before  you  the  following 
statement  of  facts : 

ist.  The  men  of  this  command  utterly  refused  to  enlist  as  a  veteran 
organization  under  their  former  field  officers,  Major  James  J.  Heffernan 
being  one  of  them. 

2d.  In  a  written  order  of  Brig.-Gen.  Giles  A.  Smith  it  was  expressly 
declared  that  any  arrangement  which  would  be  satisfactory  to  the  officers 
of  the  55th  Illinois  should  be  guaranteed  to  the  men,  by  authority  of 
Maj.-Gen.  John  A.  Logan. 

3d.  Brig.-Gen.  Morgan  L.  Smith  —  then  our  division  commander — in 
person  promised  in  presence  of  the  whole  regiment,  if  the  men  would  re- 
enlist  that  they  should  have  any  officers  they  might  choose,  either  in  or 
out  of  the  regiment,  stating  that  General  Sherman  had  that  day  given 
him  authority  to  make  these  pledges  in  order  to  secure  the  services  of  so 
valuable  a  regiment. 

4th.  Colonel  Oscar  Malmborg,  in  a  written  order,  pledged  the  men, 
if  they  would  re-enlist,  that  they  should  have  a  fair  election,  and  the  offi 
cers  of  their  choice,  and  those  only,  should  serve  them. 

5th.  The  commissioned  officers  of  the  regiment,  except  Lieut.-Colonel 
T.  C.  Chandler  and  Major  James  J.  Heffernan,  signed  a  written  agreement 
on  honor  that  they  would  not  accept  a  command  after  the  expiration  of 
the  present  term,  except  by  the  express  will  of  the  majority  of  the  veter 
ans  re-enlisted.  To  Major  James  J.  Heffernan  the  paper  was  not  pre 
sented,  he  being  in  Illinois,  and  also  —  as  md.ny  responsible  witnesses  can 
testify  under  oath— he  having  assured  the  men  with  his  own  lips  that 
they  should  have  commanders  of  their  own  choosing.  Hoping  that  Major 
James  J.  Heffernan  had  some  sense  of  honor  left,  and  fearing  to  delay 
re-enlistments  for  his  signature,  the  men  were  assured  that  he  would  not 
stand  in  their  way,  and  on  this  basis  were  re-enlisted. 

We  would  add  that  we  are  placed  under  circumstances  where  it  be 
comes  necessary  to  say  that  the  conduct  of  Major  James  J.  Heffernan  has 
rendered  him  wholly  unworthy  the  confidence  of  the  officers  and  men  of 
the  55th  Illinois  Infantry,  as  evinced  in  the  fact  that  he  was  the  only  field 
officer  in  the  regiment  who  did  not  receive  a  single  vote  for  any  office 
whatever. 

Pursuant  to  the  orders  above  referred  to  and  the  pledges  given,  Chap 
lain  Milton  L.  Haney  was  elected  colonel,  Capt.  Jacob  M.  Augustine  lieu 
tenant-colonel,  and  Francis  H.  Shaw,  major.  Capt.  Augustine  having 
been  killed  at  Kenesaw  Mountain,  and  Chaplain  Haney  preferring  not  to 
accept  the  command,  we  made  application  by  his  request  for  the  commis- 


LETTER    TO    THE    GOVERNOR. 

sioning  of  Capt.  F.  H.  Shaw  as  lieutenant-colonel.  Since  said  applica 
tion,  Capt.  Shaw,  for  declining-  to  execute  an  order  on  the  field,  has  been 
dismissed  from  service,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  President.  Under 
the  circumstances,  Chaplain  Haney  has  signified  his  willingness  to  ac 
cept  the  command,  if  commissioned.  Chaplain  Haney  has  been  identified 
with  the  55th  111.  Vols.  from  its  earliest  history,  and  recruited  more  men 
for  its  ranks  than  any  other,  save  one.  He  was  commissioned  captain  of 
Company  F,  and  served  in  that  capacity  until  March,  1862,  when  pro 
moted  to  chaplain.  He  is  therefore  the  senior  officer  present  with  the 
regiment.  As  a  company  commander  he  was  successful,  distinguishing 
himself  for  energetic  application  to  military  duties  and  studious  attention 
to  drill.  In  the  post  of  chaplain  no  more  faithful  officer  exists  than  Mil 
ton  L.  Haney.  Not  thinking  his  duties  ended  with  the  Sabbath  exhorta 
tions,  he  has  always  and  in  every  way  labored  to  better  the  condition, 
moral,  mental  and  physical  of  the  men  of  his  charge,  and  essentially 
aided  the  field  and  line  officers  in  their  efforts  to  make  the  55th  111.  Vols. 
one  of  the  best  disciplined  and  most  efficient  regiments  in  the  service. 
In  recent  battles  he  has  taken  his  place  in  the  ranks,  fighting  musket  in 
hand.  One  evidence  of  his  ability  to  command  can  be  found  in  the  fact 
that  he  has  so  gained  the  confidence  of  the  intelligent  body  of  men  com 
prising  the  veterans  of  this  regiment,  as  in  a  formal  election  for  com 
manding  officer,  to  receive  nearly  nine-tenths  of  their  votes. 

We  hereby  earnestly  request  that  he  be  immediately  commissioned  as 
lieutenant-colonel  of  the  55th  111.  Vols.,  and  that  our  application  for  com 
pany  promotions  be  granted  without  delay.  Relying  upon  your  sense  of 
moral  justice  and  being  impelled  by  stern  necessity,  added  to  the  solici 
tude  of  our  men,  we  confidently  lay  before  you  this  our  last  appeal. 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted, 

CYRUS  M.  BROWNE,  Capt.  Commanding 5$th  Regt.  III.  Vol.  Infty. 

JOHN  T.  SMITH,  Asst.-Sttrgeon.  "  "  " 

HENRY  S.  NOURSE,  Captain,  ^th  Regt.  III.  Vol.  Infty.,  Co.  H. 

CHARLES  A.  ANDRESS,  Captain,  "        "        "        "        /. 

ALBERT  A.  WHIFFLE,  ist  Lieutenant,    "        "        "        "       G. 

PETER  ROBERTS,  sd  Lieutenant,  "        "        "        "       G. 

ROBERT  OLIVER,  ist  Lieutenant,  "        "        "        "       C. 

GILES  F.  HAND,  ist  Lieutenant,  "        "        "        "       F. 

JACOB  FINK,  ist  Lieutenant,  "        "        "        "      D. 

FREDERICK  EBERSOLD,  ist  Lieutenant, "        "        "        "        I. 

HORACE  T.  HEALEY,  ist  Lieutenant,     "        "        "        "      H. 

F.  A.  SCOTT,  2d  Lieutenant,  "        "        "        "       H. 

FRANCIS  P.  FISHER,  ist  Lieut,  and  Adjt.,       "        " 

HENRY  AUGUSTINE,  ist  Lieutenant,        "        "        "        "       A. 
I  hereby  certify  that  the  above  list  of  signatures  comprises  the  names 
of  all  commissioned  officers  present  with  the  regiment  this  2oth  day  of 
August,  1864. 

C.  M.  BROWNE,  Capt.  Comdg.  Regiment. 
F.  P.  FISHER,  Adjt. 


364  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

Despite  this  indignant  protest  in  behalf  of  the  veterans, 
Major  Heffernan  —  at  this  date  commandant  at  Camp  Butler, 
Illinois  —  was  promptly  commissioned  lieutenant-colonel. 
He  was,  however,  never  mustered  into  that  grade;  but  re 
tained  his  command  at  the  rear  until  November  iQth,  1864, 
when  he  was  mustered  out  of  service  as  major,  not  having 
been  present  with  the  regiment  a  day  for  ten  months.  Dur 
ing  the  Fenian  raid  into  Canada  of  May,  1866,  he  figured 
briefly  with  the  title  of  "Brigadier-General  in  the  service  of 
the  Irish  Republic."  He  in  after  years  resided  successively 
in  New  York,  California,  Utah,  and  Colorado,  making  occa 
sional  visits  to  Honduras  and  Mexico,  being  engaged  "in 
mining  and  prospecting."  He  was  ambitious,  quick-witted, 
versatile,  tireless  both  in  mental  and  bodily  activity,  and  influ 
ential  because  of  his  attractive  social  qualities.  He  often 
held  local  office,  and  was  always  and  everywhere  an  ardent 
politician.  He  died  at  St.  Louis  in  1885. 

CASUALTIES  OF  FIFTY-FIFTH  ILLINOIS  VET.  VOLS.  BEFORE 
ATLANTA,  IN  AUGUST,  1864. 

KILLED.  COMPANY.  REMARKS. 

OLIVER  'E.K.icviSQyi,  first-lieutenant.    E.  Aug.  3,  in  charge. 

WILLIAM  J.  ECKLEY,  sergeant.  G.  Aug.  3,  in  charge. 

MICHAEL  HUMPHREY.  G.  Aug.  3,  in  charge,  shot  in  head. 

WILLIAM  MOUNT.  K.  Aug.  4,  shot  through  head. 

DANIEL  S.  BURKE.  D.  Aug.  12,  shot  through  heart. 

GEORGE  W.  SITLER.  B.  Aug.  13. 

GILLIS  WOOLNER.  I.  Aug.  22,  head  torn  off  by  shell. 

WOUNDED. 

WILLIAM  H.  BARKLEY,  corporal.  B.  Aug.  3,  in  face,  during  charge. 

THOMAS  WILSON.  B.  Aug.  14,  in  head. 

JOHN  JACKSON.  B.  Aug.  14,  in  face. 

THOMAS  GOAKEY.  C.  Aug.  4,  in  neck. 

MOSES  WARDEN.  E.  Aug.  3,  during  charge,  in  thigh. 

GEORGE  W.  CURFMAN.  D.  Aug.  10,  in  head. 

DERRICK  F.  FRYER,  sergeant.  H.  Aug.  12,  in  back. 

GEORGE  A.  ANDREWS.  I.  Aug.  26,  in  right  foot. 

Lieutenant  Erickson,  a  Swede  by  birth,  was  a  gallant  officer 
and  a  worthy  man,  who  had  won  his  commission  from  the 
ranks,  having  entered  the  service  as  a  corporal  in  Company 
A.  He  was  struck  by  three  or  more  bullets  and  instantly 
killed,  at  the  head  of  his  company.  Sergeant  Eckley  was  a 


GRAND  FLANK  MOVEMENT.          365 

young  man  of  more  than  average  intelligence  and  character, 
and  greatly  esteemed  by  all  his  comrades.  Humphrey,  a 
jocose  little  Irishman,  was  always  frolicsome  in  camp,  and 
never  a  shirk  in  the  fight.  Mount  was  killed  behind  the 
works  by  a  chance  ball.  He  was  an  exceptionally  fine  soldier, 
in  the  flower  of  youth,  and  a  lovable  comrade. 

The  battle  of  Ezra  Church  evidently  awakened  at  last  in 
General  Hood  a  wholesome  respect  for  his  predecessor's  pru 
dent  defensive  policy.  We  thereafter  met  no  more  furious 
flank  assaults,  but  everywhere  found  ourselves  facing  elabor 
ate  field-works  fully  manned,  and  strong  skirmish  lines  of 
veteran  troops  in  rifle-pits,  posted  some  distance  in  front  of 
the  main  intrenchments.  The  Confederate  army  had  been 
re-enforced  by  large  bodies  of  militia,  to  whom  was  entrusted 
the  defence  of  the  inner  line  of  fortifications,  and  battalions 
of  slaves  constructed  miles  of  field-works  in  anticipation  of 
every  gain  in  position  or  prolongation  of  lines  made  by  the 
Union  army.  It  was  time  for  another  grand  flank  movement. 

On  the  twenty-sixth  of  August,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  abandoned  its  works, 
and  moving  to  the  rear  marched  in  a  pouring  rain  all  night 
and  until  noon  the  next  day,  a  distance  of  about  sixteen 
miles,  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  along  the  Lickskillet  and 
Sandtown  roads.  Our  pickets  having  held  their  posts  five  or 
six  hours  after  the  division  had  retired,  were  then  quietly 
withdrawn  and  followed  as  rear  guard.  Lieutenant  Roberts, 
commanding  the  guard  detail  of  the  Fifty-fifth  that  night, 
relates  that,  although  the  removal  of  the  troops  was  con 
ducted  with  the  utmost  possible  precaution  against  noise, 
enough  mysterious  sounds  reached  the  ears  of  the  rebel  pick 
ets  to  make  them  suspicious.  After  a  time  the  hostile  bat 
teries  began  to  shell  our  lines,  and  when  our  pickets  retired 
they  were  closely  followed.  Halted  on  the  ridges  along 
Wolf  Creek,  we  threw  up  a  line  of  defences,  working  like 
beavers  until  dark.  The  prepared-for  assault  did  not  come, 
however,  for  General  Hood,  knowing  that  the  Twentieth 
Corps  had  fallen  back  to  the  railroad  bridge  over  the  Chatta- 
hoochee,  and  blinded  by  various  other  circumstances,  believed 


366  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

that  Sherman  was  retreating  to  Sandtown  for  the  purpose  of 
crossing  the  river. 

At  light  on  the  twenty-eighth  we  resumed  the  march,  and 
reached  the  West  Point  railroad,  two  or  three  miles  east  of 
Fairburn,  early  in  the  afternoon.  Here  we  went  into  bivouac 
in  battle  line,  passing  the  night  behind  fortifications  hastily 
built  at  right  angles  with  the  railway.  The  next  day  we 
worked  diligently  destroying  the  road.  It  was  systematically 
ruined  and  obstructed  for  miles,  each  rail  bent  into  the  shape 
of  a  hair-pin,  the  ties  burned,  and  the  cuts  filled  with  earth, 
trees  and  rubbish,  and  an  occasional  artillery  shell  arranged 
to  serve  as  a  torpedo.  August  30th  we  advanced  twelve 
miles,  arriving  within  a  mile  of  Jonesborough  on  the  Macon 
railroad  at  night,  where  battle  line  was  formed,  and  we  at 
once  began  intrenching.  The  day's  march  had  been  con 
stantly  delayed  by  Wheeler's  cavalry,  two  or  three  brigades 
of  which  now  and  then  offered  a  sturdy  opposition,  some 
times  from  behind  barricades,  and  assisted  by  light  artillery. 
At  Flint  River,  late  in  the  afternoon,  a  more  determined 
stand  was  made  by  infantry  and  cavalry,  intrenched,  but  they 
were  soon  outflanked  and  fled,  abandoning  to  our  use  the 
bridge  half  burned.  At  Jonesborough  there  was  evidently  a 
larger  force  intrenched.  Guided  by  the  sound  of  our  labor 
upon  the  rifle-pits  we  at  once  set  about  constructing,  a  con 
stant  fire  was  kept  up  in  the  darkness,  which  proved  very 
annoying. 

At  dawn  of  August  3ist  we  speedily  discovered  that  our 
position  had  serious  faults  not  discernible  the  night  before. 
The  enemy's  sharp-shooters  commanded  the  ground  in  our 
immediate  rear,  so  as  to  make  it  hazardous  to  move  out  of 
the  shelter  of  our  works.  The  First  brigade  was  at  once 
ordered  to  move  forward  and  take  possession  of  a  prominent 
hill  about  half  a  mile  to  the  front.  The  enemy's  skirmishers 
stoutly  resisted  our  advance,  but  by  nine  o'clock  we  occupied 
the  crest,  and  while  half  the  brigade  pushed  back  the  enemy 
and  held  them  in  check,  the  rest  piled  rails  and  logs,  of  which 
there  was  luckily  a  considerable  supply  within  a  short  dis 
tance,  into  a  rude  low  breastwork.  Lying  behind  this,  with 
bayonets  and  tin  plates — anything  that  could  serve  as  a  tool 


THE    BATTLE    OF    JONESBOROUGH. 

—  the  men  dug  into  the  hard  gravel  to  increase  their  protec 
tion.  The  position  commanded  both  the  Confederate  and 
our  own  lines.  It  was  an  amazing  oversight  on  the  part  of 
the  enemy  that  they  had  not  occupied  and  fortified  it  before 
our  arrival.  The  railroad  and  village  of  Jonesborough,  the 
former  about  five  hundred  yards  distant  only,  lay  below  us 
in  plain  view.  Battle-lines  twice  the  length  of  our  brigade 
came  out  of  the  woodland  by  the  railway,  and  a  strong  in 
trenched  line,  fully  manned  with  infantry  and  artillery, 
stretched  from  our  front  southward  into  the  town  beyond  our 
field  of  sight. 

Luckily  a  few  picks  and  shovels  soon  reached  us,  and  for 
two  or  three  hours  every  man  put  all  his  energy  into  the  work 
of  protection.  By  noon  we  were  sheltered  behind  a  contin 
uous  line  of  field-works,  but  far  inferior  in  height  and  solidity 
to  those  we  had  become  accustomed  to  construct  in  the  ad 
vance  upon  Atlanta.  In  our  immediate  front  low  brush  and 
small  trees  masked  the  situation  somewhat  from  the  hostile 
batteries.  Behind  us  the  hill  sloped  gently  down  to  a  little 
brook  and  a  road.  The  dusky  lines  of  men  in  the  valley 
were  constantly  lengthening  by  the  coming  of  loaded  trains 
from  the  city.  Two  Confederate  corps — Hardee's  and  S.  D. 
Lee's — were  confronting  the  Federal  Fifteenth,  and  our  weak 
brigade,  detached  by  a  wide  interval  from  any  support  on  the 
right  flank,  and  utterly  without  support  on  the  left,  formed 
an  attenuated  line  in  this  important  salient,  awaiting  an  as 
sault  for  which  we  could  see  the  preparations  going  on  below. 
The  odds  were  too  enormous,  and  the  division  general  evi 
dently  recognized  the  fact;  for  at  the  last  moment  of  grace 
five  little  regiments  were  hurried  forward  from  the  distant 
Seventeenth  Corps,  three  of  which  were  posted  in  a  pine 
grove  a  short  distance  from  our  left,  and  the  other  two  upon 
our  right  flank  at  an  interval  of  a  few  rods.  Both  the  forces 
were  refused  nearly  at  right  angles  with  the  general  direc 
tion  of  our  intrenched  line. 

At  two  o'clock,  heralded  by  the  roar  of  the  Confederate 
batteries,  General  S.  D.  Lee's  corps,  in  double  line  of  assault, 
pushed  up  the  slope,  every  man  yelling  like  a  demon  incar 
nate.  Our  skirmishers  came  in  upon  the  run.  Close  behind, 


368  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

the  first  rebel  line  rushed  into  sight  out  of  the  skirts  of  the 
brush  that  fringed  the  slope,  and  when  within  a  hundred 
paces  our  first  volley  met  them  full  in  the  face.  A  few  of 
the  more  desperate  reached  the  rifle-pits,  but  the  main  body 
was  swept  back  to  the  shelter  of  the  copse,  leaving  the  hill 
crest  covered  with  a  bloody  burden.  The  second  line  ad 
vanced  with  less  spirit,  halted  for  the  most  part  about  sixty 
yards  from  the  works,  and  lying  down  kept  up  a  desultory 
fire  upon  us.  The  officers  again  formed  the  lines  and  drove 
their  men  up  the  hill,  again  to  be  decimated  and  driven. 
Over  one  hundred  dead  men  were  visible  in  our  front,  and 
three  battle-flags  had  fallen  before  the  brigade.  Many 
wounded  and  about  one  hundred  unhurt,  who  had  got  too 
near  to  retreat,  surrendered,  and  were  sent  to  the  rear. 
Among  these  a  jaunty  young  colonel,  with  a  broken  arm, 
mounted  the  works  and  gazed  up  and  down  the  line.  Recog 
nizing  the  flimsy  character  of  the  barricade  and  the  scant 
number  of  defenders,  a  look  of  ineffable  rage  and  disgust 
distorted  his  fine  features  as  he  strode  back  towards  our  field 
hospital.  We  buried  one  hundred  and  two  dead  within  our 
brigade  lines,  while  before  the  picket  posts  were  many  more. 
The  attack  had  been  made  along  the  front  of  the  Fifteenth 
Corps,  but  the  only  forceful  blow  was  struck  at  the  Second 
division  and  broke  upon  the  First  brigade.  Lieutenant-Gen 
eral  Lee,  in  his  report  of  the  battle,  acknowledged  a  loss  of 
thirteen  hundred  killed  and  wounded,  and  stated  that  he  did 
not  persevere  in  his  assaults  because  he  had  apparently  made 
no  impression  by  his  attack  upon  our  left,  where  he  supposed 
us  weakest.  The  Fifty-fifth,  with  an  effective  force  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty,  lost  during  the  day  two  killed  and  ten 
wounded,  four  of  the  latter  being  mortally  hurt. 

The  morning  of  September  1st  opened  with  an  unclouded 
sky.  The  Fourteenth,  Twenty-third  and  Fourth  Corps  had 
struck  the  Macon  railway  late  on  the  previous  evening,  being 
at  the  nearest  point  four  miles  north  of  us,  engaged  in  leis 
urely  destruction  of  the  track.  The  position  in  the  valley 
below,  as  to  outward  appearances,  was  unchanged.  Hardee's 
corps  in  its  intrenchments  annoyed  us  with  artillery,  and  the 
sharp-shooters  forced  us  to  keep  close  to  our  cover.  Al- 


THE    BATTLE    OF    JONESBOROUGH.  369 

though  we  did  not  then  know  the  fact,  Lee's  corps  had 
marched  for  Atlanta  during  the  night. 

It  was  not  until  afternoon  that  General  Sherman  appeared 
upon  the  scene.  Coming  to  our  rear,  after  viewing  the  posi 
tion  of  affairs,  he  sent  his  staff  galloping  with  orders  in  every 
direction.  The  Seventeenth  Corps  now  joined  us  on  the  left, 
and  the  Fourteenth  came  sweeping  down  the  railroad.  We 
could  overlook  from  our  little  eminence  the  approach  of  the 
columns,  the  deployment  and  gallant  advance,  and  the  final 
assault  upon  the  right  flank  of  Hardee's  army,  where  Cle- 
burne's  division  met  the  attack.  The  Confederate  works 
were  strong,  running  across  the  railroad  and  therefore  at 
right  angles  with  the  main  intrenchments,  with  salients  con 
taining  batteries  that  were  served  with  great  rapidity,  raining 
grape  and  shell  upon  the  blue  lines  as  they  came  into  range. 
It  was  nearly  four  o'clock  before  the  successful  charge  was 
made.  General  Sherman  stood  watching  the  formation,  vis 
ibly  impatient.  Soon  the  skirmishers  were  seen  running 
forward,  and  behind  them  the  two  battle  lines  rolled  onward. 
The  rebel  pickets  rushed  back  pell-mell  before  them,  the 
smoke  leaped  from  the  cannons'  mouths  towards  them,  and 
the  musketry  volleys  tore  visible  gaps  through  them.  Now 
and  then  portions  of  the  line  would  falter,  and  with  hearts  in 
our  mouths  we  dreaded  lest  the  next  minute  should  see  them 
go  routed  back.  But  the  hesitation  was  never  general  and 
always  brief;  the  brigades  swept  on  with  emulative  determi 
nation,  rushed  up  the  slope  and  over  the  batteries.  Sherman, 
rubbing  his  hands  one  over  the  other,  said  to  the  officer  next 
to  him,  "They're  rolling  them  up  like  a  sheet  of  paper,"  and 
moved  away  to  give  orders  for  pressing  the  advantage  gained. 

But  it  was  past  five  o'clock,  and  before  the  Fourth  Corps 
could  get  into  position  to  envelope  Hardee's  doomed  legions 
from  the  south,  darkness  closed  down  upon  the  day's  work. 
As  usual,  Thomas's  army,  though  sure,  had  been  terribly 
slow.  Two  hours  more  of  daylight  and  the  whole  of  Har 
dee's  corps  would  have  been  hemmed  in  by  an  overwhelming 
force,  without  hope  of  escape.  During  the  night  heavy  ex 
plosions  to  the  northward  disclosed  the  abandonment  of 
Atlanta,  and  the  subdued  bustle  in  the  enemy's  camps  in- 
24 


37°  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

formed  the  pickets  that  Hardee  was  evacuating  Jonesborough. 
At  dawn  Lieutenant  Oliver,  leading  our  skirmishers,  encoun 
tered  his  rear  guard  in  the  town,  and  the  brigade  began  pur 
suit,  following  the  retreat  five  miles,  when  it  was  relieved  by 
other  troops.  Knowing  the  country  and  all  its  numerous  and 
excellent  by-roads,  the  enemy  readily  escaped  without  further 
serious  loss. 

CASUALTIES  IN   FIFTY-FIFTH   ILLINOIS  VET.  VOLS.,  NEAR 
JONESBOROUGH,  GA.,  AUG.  3I-SEPT.  3,  1864. 

KILLED.  COMPANY.  REMARKS. 

TABOR  J.  THOMAS,  sergeant.  C.  Aug  31,  mortally  wounded  by  shell  in 

right  side  and  shoulder. 

MAYHEW  C.  ATHEARN,  sergt.  D.  Aug.  31,  shot  through  head. 

CHARLES  T.  BEERS,  sergeant.  H.  Aug.  31,  mortally  wounded  in  head. 

JOHN  HENSEY.  H.  Aug.  31,  mortally  wounded  in  left  leg. 

GEORGE  W.  CROCKER.  I.  Aug.  31,  right  arm  amputated. 

CHARLES  STOCKER,  I.  Aug.  31,  by  musket  shot. 

THOMAS  WILSON,  corporal.  B.  Sept.  i. 

JOHN  CONNOR.  K.  Sept.  i,  shot  in  head. 

WOUNDED. 

WILLIAM  H.  LOWE,  sergeant.  A.  Aug.  31,  in  neck. 

WILLIAM  W.  BONNE Y,  corpl.  D.  Aug.  31,  in  right  foot. 

WILLIAM  M.  GROUNDS,  sergt.  K.  Aug.  31,  in  left  shoulder. 

GEORGE  W.  JACKSON.  G.  Aug.  31,  in  breast. 

CALVIN  A.  SONGSTER.  G.  Aug.  31,  in  head. 

SYLVESTER  M.  SHERMAN.  H.  Aug.  31,  in  neck. 

WILLIAM  H.  CRISS.  D.  Sept.  i,  in  neck. 

JACOB  W.  KEFFER.  F.  Sept.  i,  in  neck. 

WILLIAM  F.  RANDOLPH.  H.  Sept.  i,  in  right  arm. 

ANTHONY  HUGHES.  I.  Sept.  i,  in  right  arm. 

WILLIAM  D.  MAY.  D.  Sept.  3,  in  hand  and  leg. 

Sergeant  Thomas  was  a  brave,  prompt  soldier.  His  wound 
was  a  terrible  one,  made  by  a  fragment  of  shell,  but  he  lived 
three  days.  Athearn  had  not  re-enlisted,  and  was  looking 
forward  hopefully  to  his  return  home  in  a  few  weeks.  He 
was  an  unassuming  but  excellent  sergeant.  Beers  was  the 
quartermaster  elect  of  the  veterans.  He  had  been  seemingly 
elated  by  the  excitement  of  battle,  making  jocose  comments 
upon  incidents  of  the  fight,  and  loading  and  firing  as  though 
at  target  practice.  A  sharp-shooter's  bullet  passed  through 
his  cap  from  front  to  rear,  just  grazing  the  top  of  his  skull. 
It  was  apparently  a  scalp  wound  only,  but  stunned  him  for  a 
few  moments.  Suddenly  he  regained  his  senses  and  sat  up, 


CLOSE    OF    THE    CAMPAIGN.  37  1 

exclaiming,  "That  was  a  close  call  for  Charley,"  His  life 
ought  to  have  been  saved,  and  probably  would  have  been 
could  he  have  had  the  care  of  our  own  regimental  surgeon. 
He  lived  three  weeks.  John  Connor  was  shot  through  the 
head  just  as  he  was  about  to  be  relieved  from  picket  duty. 

September  3d  we  were  engaged  in  the  hard  labor  of  de 
stroying  the  railway,  a  part  of  the  soldier's  trade  which  we 
had  acquired  to  perfection.  Ranged  beside  the  track,  the 
regiment  or  brigade  would  raise  and  throw  over  a  section  of 
the  length  of  its  battle  line.  The  ties  were  soon  loosened 
and  collected  into  large  square  piles,  across  which  the  rails 
were  placed.  Being  of  pine,  the  wood  burned  fiercely,  and 
the  rails,  soon  white  hot  at  the  middle,  were  then  bent  against 
a  telegraph  pole  until  the  ends  met.  Some  provisions  and 
forage  were  gleaned  from  the  fertile  region  about.  The 
enemy  halted  at  Lovejoy's,  three  miles  south  of  us,  and  we 
threw  up  works  facing  them,  and  remained  in  bivouac  two 
days,  returning  to  our  old  position  upon  the  hill  at  Jonesbo- 
rough  on  the  evening  of  the  fifth. 

September  7th  we  marched  seven  miles  and  went  into 
camp  near  a  creek  behind  breastworks  built  by  the  Confed 
erates,  where  the  congratulatory  orders  of  the  President  and 
General  Grant,  and  the  order  of  thanks  from  General  Sher 
man  were  read,  and  we  cheered  ourselves  hoarse  over  them. 
The  next  day  we  continued  northward  seven  miles  to  East 
Point  and  laid  out  a  formal  camp  in  a  belt  of  woodland,  with 
the  hope  of  enjoying  a  period  of  rest  which  all  much  needed. 
The  Atlanta  campaign  here  properly  ends.  It  was  barely 
three  months  from  the  day  the  Fifty  -fifth  had  entered  the 
field  upon  its  return  from  furlough.  The  fearful  attrition  of 
these  twelve  weeks  is  well  exhibited  by  a  comparison  of  the 
morning  reports  at  the  beginning  and  end  of  this  period: 

Kenesaw.     East  Point. 


Present  for  duty,  j 


Present  and  absent,  j  E^sTed  m^  °ffiCerS 43?  402 


•Aggregate  ................  261  202 


Aggregate 461  424 


372  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

The  casualties  during  the  three  months  had  been  one  hun 
dred  and  thirty-five  —  in  number  more  than  half  that  of  the 
total  present  for  duty  at  the  date  when  the  regiment  entered 
upon  the  campaign.  The  proportion  of  fatal  wounds  is  very 
noticeable: 

Killed  or  mortally  wounded,  including  four  commissioned  officers,  39 

Wounded  not  fatally,  including  four  commissioned  officers, 81 

Captured  in  battle  —  enlisted  men, 15 

During  September  the  army  rested  in  its  camps  about 
Atlanta.  The  brigade  was  located  in  a  pleasant  open  wood 
land,  with  cleared  ground  in  its  front.  The  men  built  little 
cabins  for  themselves,  boards  being  brought  from  Atlanta  for 
the  purpose,  and  most  were  very  comfortably  housed.  On 
the  nineteenth  company  drill  was  resumed,  and  regimental 
and  brigade  drills  were  held  for  an  hour  and  a  half  daily,  five 
days  in  the  week.  With  our  war-reduced  battalions  it  required 
a  deal  of  preliminary  consolidation  before  lines  of  sufficient 
length  were  obtained  for  convenience  in  the  evolutions.  The 
division  commander,  a  graduate  from  West  Point  and  pro 
moted  from  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  exhibited  a  greater 
fondness  for  parade,  and  was  more  insistent  upon  the  rules  of 
military  etiquette  than  our  former  generals.  He  summarily 
arrested  Lieutenant-Colonel  Mott  of  the  Fifty-seventh  Ohio, 
one  day,  because  his  men  shouted  "hard-tack"  when  they 
saw  the  general  passing,  they  being  at  the  time  on  short 
allowance  of  bread  for  some  reason.  He  ordered  command 
ing  officers  of  regiments  to  take  steps  for  filling  all  vacancies 
among  the  commissioned,  and  in  pursuance  of  this  order  the 
following  document  was  forwarded  to  the  Governor  of  Illinois: 

HEADQUARTERS  55TH  REGT.  ILL.  VET.  VOLS.,  ) 
EAST  POINT,  Ga.,  Sept.  15,  1864.  ) 

To  his  Excellency,  Governor  RICHARD  YATES, 

Springfield,  Illinois. 

SIR  :  I  certify  on  honor  that  at  a  meeting  of  the  veterans  of  the 
55th  111.  Vet.  Vol.  Infty.,  this  day  legally  held  at  East  Point,  Ga.,  Chaplain 
Milton  L.  Haney  was  unanimously  elected  lieutenant-colonel  of  this 
organization,  vice  Lieutenant-Colonel  T.  C.  Chandler,  resigned  and  dis 
charged  by  S.  O.  No.  146,  of  Maj.-Gen.  J.  B.  McPherson,  dated  July  3,  1864. 
At  meetings  duly  held  at  the  same  place  and  date,  by  the  veterans  of 


PROMOTIONS  AND  RESIGNATIONS. 

Companies  B  and  E  of  this  regiment,  Corporal  John  H.  Fisher  of  Com 
pany  B  was  unanimously  elected  first-lieutenant  of  Company  B  vice  First- 
Lieutenant  George  W.  Eichelbarger,  killed  in  action  July  22,  1864  ;  First- 
Sergeant  Robert  Dixon  of  Company  E  was  elected  captain  of  Company 
E,  vice  Captain  William  C.  Porter,  killed  in  action  June  27,  1864  ;  Sergeant 
John  Warden  of  Company  E  was  elected  first-lieutenant,  vice  First-Lieu 
tenant  Oliver  Erickson,  killed  in  action  August  3,  1864. 

At  the  organizing  election,  held  by  order  of  Col.  O.  Malmborg,  at  Lar- 
kin's  Landing,  Ala.,  April  6th,  1863,  Captain  Francis  H.  Shaw,  Company 
C,  was  elected  major ;  First-Lieutenant  Oliver,  captain  of  Company  C, 
and  First-Sergeant  Luther  J.  Keyes,  first-lieutenant  of  Company  C;  since 
which  time  Captain  Shaw  has  been  dismissed  the  service  of  the  U.  S.  by 
G.  F.  O.  No.  9,  dated  August  n,  1864,  of  Maj.-Gen.  O.  O.  Howard. 

I  have  the  honor  to  request  that  Chaplain  Milton  L.  Haney,  Lieuten 
ant  Robert  Oliver,  Sergeants  Robert  Dixon,  Luther  J.  Keyes  and  John 
Warden,  and  Corporal  John  H.  Fisher  be  commissioned  at  your  earliest 
convenience  in  the  grades  to  which  they  have  been  elected.  I  would  re 
spectfully  call  your  attention  to  the  injunctions  of  an  order — a  copy  of 
which  is  attached  hereto — received  from  my  immediate  commander; 
and  in  compliance  therewith  I  earnestly  solicit  you  to  furnish  the  much 
needed  commissions  to  the  above  named  officers  elect,  and  to  those  pre 
viously  recommended  to  your  favor  by  my  predecessor  in  command  of 
this  regiment,  at  as  early  a  day  as  practicable. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir, 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

HENRY  S.  NOURSE, 
Capt.  55 th  III.  Vet.  Vols.,  Commanding  Regt. 

Within  a  day  or  two  after  forwarding  the  above,  the  resig 
nations  of  two  officers  in  the  Fifty-fifth  were  accepted,  their 
physical  condition  incapacitating  them  for  the  hard  service 
of  the  campaign  about  to  open.  They  were  Captain  H.  H. 
Kendrick  and  First-Lieutenant  A.  A.  Whipple;  both  officers 
of  fine  personal  presence,  intelligent,  genial  and  universally 
respected.  Lieutenant  Whipple  was  the  youngest  officer  of 
the  regiment  at  its  organization,  being  then  second-lieuten 
ant  of  Company  G.  For  some  time  he  was  detached  for 
duty  with  the  Signal  Corps.  Could  he  have  remained  in  the 
service  a  few  weeks  longer  he  would  have  received  commis 
sion  as  captain;  but  the  disabling  effects  of  the  wound  in 
his  head,  received  at  the  battle  of  Ezra  Church,  warned  him 
that  he  must  surrender  to  others  the  duties  which  he  had 
modestly  and  manfully  performed  during  nearly  three  years. 
Captain  Kendrick,  by  soldierly  merit,  had  won  his  position 


374  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

from  the  ranks,  and  had  gained  especial  praise  for  the  con 
spicuous  part  borne  by  him  in  the  battle  of  July  28th.  Com 
missions  came  two  or  three  days  later  promoting  Henry 
Augustine  and  Giles  F.  Hand  to  captains,  and  Sergeant  John 
B.  Ridenour  to  first-lieutenant. 

September  22d  a  haggard  band  of  fifteen  men,  ragged, 
unkempt,  feeble,  the  pinched  look  of  starvation  in  their  faces, 
limped  into  our  camp.  It  was  the  missing  group  of  the  cap 
tured  at  Atlanta,  July  22d.  They  reported  that  the  sixteenth 
missing  man  in  that  action,  John  Smith,  had  died  of  his 
wounds  in  Atlanta,  on  the  night  of  battle  as  before  stated. 
The  fifteen  had  been  duly  exchanged  and  returned  from 
Andersonville,  having  been  two  days  upon  the  road  without 
food.  Although  they  had  suffered  durance  vile  less  than  two 
months,  nearly  all  of  them  were  so  reduced  with  starvation, 
and  so  disordered  with  unhealthful  food  and  water,  exposure, 
needless  and  malicious  ill  treatment,  that  they  had  to  be  sent 
to  a  convalescent  hospital  at  Marietta,  and  finally  further 
north,  to  recuperate.  Moneymaker  alone  was  able  to  report 
for  duty  at  once  with  his  company.  Sergeant  Gay,  from  his 
normal  weight  of  nearly  two  hundred  pounds  had  fallen  away 
to  one  hundred  and  thirty-six.  Many  were  afflicted  with 
scurvy,  some  with  rheumatism,  others  with  night-blindness. 
The  last  was  not  uncommon  among  the  prisoners,  those  who 
were  attacked  by  it  losing  all  power  of  sight  as  soon  as  it 
began  to  grow  dark.  Several  of  the  fifteen  did  not  recover 
in  time  to  rejoin  the  command  before  the  march  to  the  sea, 
and  were  sent  East  via  Cincinnati,  Baltimore,  Annapolis  and 
Morehead  City,  finally  to  meet  the  regiment  at  Goldsborough, 
North  Carolina. 

The  tale  of  Andersonville  has  been  told  again  and  again, 
but  any  pen  must  ever  utterly  fail  to  adequately  convey  such 
conception  of  the  horrors  of  that  prison-pen  as  those  received 
who,  gazing  into  the  wan  faces  of  the  emaciated  victims, 
listened  to  the  unvarnished  stories  that  fell  from  their  quiv 
ering  lips,  when  just  relieved  from  its  tortures.  A  few  items 
from  the  reminiscences  of  John  W.  Edwards  and  James  W. 
Gay  may  appropriately  find  place  here.  Those  captured  on 
July  22d  were  marched  that  night  to  East  Point,  and  "cor- 


ANDERSONVILLE    PRISONERS.  375 

railed,"  the  Fifty-fifth  Virginia  Infantry  being  detailed  to 
guard  them.  In  the  morning  they  were  marched  to  Jones- 
borough,  and  thence  were  conveyed  in  freight  cars  to  Macon, 
and  finally,  after  some  delay,  to  Andersonville,  reaching  the 
latter  place  on  July  28th.  They  were  said  to  number  about 
seventeen  hundred.  From  the  cars  they  were  first  marched 
to  high  ground  near  some  earth-works  that  overlooked  the 
whole  crowded  interior  of  the  prison-pen.  Even  at  that  dis 
tance  a  fetid,  sickening  stench  from  it  saluted  their  nostrils. 
Two  hill  slopes,  twenty  sandy  acres,  bordering  a  shallow, 
sluggish  stream  that  ran  through  a  broad  piece  of  marshy 
ground,  were  fenced  in  by  two  timber  stockades  twenty  feet 
in  height,  and  encircling  lines  of  strong  rifle-pits,  occupied 
by  artillery  as  well  as  infantry.  Within  were  thirty  thousand 
patriot  soldiers,  starving  in  a  land  of  plenty,  denied  even 
shade  from  the  scorching  sun,  and  fuel  for  cooking,  although 
the  countless  stumps  showed  that  a  dense  forest  had  been 
cleared  away  to  prepare  the  place  for  its  wretched  occupants. 
Whether  at  sight  of  the  unwelcome  addition  to  their  num 
bers,  or  from  other  cause,  the  hooting  and  yelling  of  the 
seething  mass  of  unfortunates  rose  to  a  deafening  roar,  and 
the  commandant  ordered  a  gunner  to  fire  a  shell  over  them. 
He  was  persuaded  by  the  sergeant  of  artillery  to  allow  the 
substitution  of  a  solid  shot,  which  was  fired  at  a  considerable 
elevation  across  the  stockade,  without,  however,  quelling  the 
riotous  din. 

The  newly-arrived  captives  now  made  the  acquaintance  of 
their  jailer,  Wirtz.  They  were  drawn  up  in  two  lines  facing 
each  other,  and  every  man  was  carefully  searched.  One  of 
the  prisoners  stepped  across  the  open  space  and  handed 
some  article  to  a  comrade  opposite,  when  the  infamous  com 
mandant  shouted  to  one  of  the  sentinels  to  shoot  him.  The 
soldier  hesitating,  Wirtz  rushed  towards  him  with  his  hand 
upon  his  revolver,  and  again,  with  a  string  of  oaths,  ordered 
the  sentinel  to  shoot  the  prisoner  offending.  At  this  point 
the  officer  in  command  of  the  escort  guard  interfered,  and  in 
forcible  language  admonished  the  blood-thirsty  coward  that 
the  Fifty-fifth  Virginia  was  not  under  his  orders.  Edwards 
had  sold  his  watch  to  a  lieutenant  of  the  guard  for  one  hun- 


376  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

dred  and  fifty  dollars  in  Confederate  money,  about  one-half 
of  its  fair  value,  as  he  was  afterwards  assured.  In  the  search 
this  money  was  found  and  taken  from  him;  but  as  he  proved 
by  the  escort  how  he  obtained  it,  he  was  fortunate  enough  to 
finally  secure  its  restoration.  The  two  lines  were  at  last 
divided  into  companies  of  ninety  men  each.  Then  order  was 
given  for  "a  sergeant  who  could  write  to  step  forward  from 
each  company,"  as  though  penmanship  was  a  rare  accom 
plishment.  Naturally  all  the  sergeants  came  to  the  front, 
which  created  considerable  merriment  among  the  men,  and 
greatly  ruffled  the  jailer's  temper.  A  sergeant  for  each  ninety 
men  was  selected  and  instructed  to  record  the  names  and 
regiments  of  that  company,  and  to  him  was  assigned  the 
duty  of  drawing  and  distributing  rations.  For  convenience, 
each  company  divided  itself  into  groups  of  thirty,  and  these 
were  subdivided  into  squads  of  ten,  each  having  its  chosen 
commissary. 

For  the  first  few  days  the  daily  allowance  per  man  con 
sisted  of  one-half  pint  of  black  peas,  always  gritty  with  sand; 
the  same  quantity  of  corn  meal,  the  cob  apparently  ground 
with  the  corn;  and  two  ounces  of  fresh  meat,  no  allowance 
being  made  for  bone.  No  salt  was  issued,  and  the  meat  was 
often  half  spoiled  before  it  could  be  used.  But  salt  could 
be  purchased  for  two  dollars  per  pint  at  the  Winders'  store 
within  the  stockade.  Onions  were  sold  at  seventy-five  cents 
to  one  dollar  and  a  half  each.  Eggs  brought  thirty  cents 
apiece,  and  flour  could  be  had  at  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents 
per  pound.  Tobacco  was  abundant,  and  more  reasonable  in 
price.  A  small  bundle  of  pine  splinters,  about  enough  to 
cook  one  man's  dinner,  cost  a  dollar  and  a  half.  By  building 
a  little  clay  flue  some  cooking  was  done,  but  even  the  peas 
were  often  eaten  raw.  After  a  time  cooked  rations  were 
issued,  consisting  of  four  ounces  of  corn  bread,  two  ounces 
of  meat,  and  half  a  pint  of  rice,  with  two  table-spoonfuls  of 
molasses.  Members  of  a  mess  would  always  conceal  a  dead 
comrade  just  as  long  as  possible  in  order  to  draw  his  rations. 
Some  attempted  to  appease  the  gnawing  pangs  of  hunger  by 
the  most  indigestible  and  disgusting  substances — even  ate 
the  worms  they  dug  from  the  rotten  stumps. 


ANDERSONVILLE    PRISONERS.  377 

The  water  of  the  stream  was  but  the  outflow  of  a  miasmal 
swamp,  and  received  the  wash  of  the  whole  foul  area  at  every 
rain;  but  it  was  all  that  could  be  had.  Many  wells  were 
sunk,  some  to  great  depth,  without  reaching  moisture.  The 
drainage  of  bakery  and  slaughter-house  added  to  that  of  the 
slopes  defiled  the  flow  more  and  more,  until,  when  the 
Atlanta  prisoners  arrived,  the  water  seemed  to  them  horrible 
beyond  endurance.  The  death  rate  then  averaged  about  one 
hundred  per  day.  Suddenly,  on  August  I3th,  a  clear  little 
spring  gushed  forth  just  outside  the  "dead  line,"  not  far  from 
the  northern  gate  of  the  stockade.  A  barrel  was  permitted 
to  be  sunk  to  receive  it  and  a  trough  conducted  the  water 
across  the  "dead  line."  There  a  guard  was  stationed  com 
pelling  all  to  approach  by  one  path  and  take  their  proper 
turns  in  line.  The  flow  was  so  abundant  that  rarely  was  any 
one  compelled  to  wait  more  than  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  for  a 
drink,  although  there  were  sometimes  hundreds  of  the  thirsty 
in  the  path.  This  precious  fountain  was  generally  known  as 
"God's  water,"  or  "Providence  spring." 

General  Sherman  effected  arrangements  for  the  special 
exchange  of  men  belonging  to  his  own  department,  and  on 
September  20th  the  Atlanta  prisoners  were  summoned  into 
line,  the  roll  was  called,  and  they  were  sent  by  rail  to  Rough 
and  Ready,  and  thence  ordered  to  their  several  commands. 
It  was  rare  good  fortune  that  of  the  fifteen  men  from  the 
Fifty-fifth  not  one  died  in  the  prison,  for  during  the  terrible 
fifty-four  days  of  August  and  September  that  they  spent  in 
Andersonville  stockade,  about  one  in  six  of  its  inmates  per 
ished. 

On  the  third  of  October,  being  under  marching  orders,  we 
began  packing  up  our  camp  equipage,  which  we  were  in 
structed  to  send  to  Atlanta,  and  all  those  unable  to  march 
were  transferred  to  the  Marietta  convalescent  hospital.  Gen 
eral  Hood  was  leading  a  desperate  raid  north,  and  had 
already  severed  our  railroad  communications.  The  next 
morning  we  marched  for  the  Chattahoochee  and  crossing  at 
Vining's  late  in  the  afternoon  went  into  bivouac  about  ten 
o'clock  at  night  along  the  railroad  near  and  south  of  Marietta. 
We  had  tramped  nineteen  miles.  The  following  morning  we 


378  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS    INFANTRY. 

moved  across  Nickajack  Creek,  where,  behind  a  line  of  earth 
works,  we  watched  and  waited  until  the  afternoon  of  the 
eighth,  when  marching  orders  came  and  we  moved  to  the 
northward  of  Kenesaw  and  camped  near  Big  Shanty,  in  the 
night.  The  next  day  we  lay  at  ease  behind  a  line  of  earth 
works,  and  many  who  had  not  before  had  opportunity 
climbed  the  mountain  and  visited  the  rocky  promontory 
upon  which  so  much  of  our  best  blood  was  uselessly  shed  on 
the  twenty-seventh  of  June.  The  explorers  returned  declar 
ing  with  entire  unanimity  that  our  charge  upon  Little  Kene 
saw  was  one  of  the  most  foolhardy  and  hopeless  of  the  war. 
October  loth,  in  the  afternoon,  we  moved  north  to  Ackworth, 
and  the  next  day  through  Allatoona  to  Kingston,  camping  on 
Two-run  Creek.  This  last  was  a  hard  day's  march  of  over 
twenty  miles.  On  the  twelfth  we  reached  the  neighborhood 
of  Rome,  marching  seventeen  miles.  We  travelled  nearly  all 
night  on  the  thirteenth,  bright  moonlight  illuminating  our 
road,  and  after  thirteen  miles  were  passed  went  into  bivouac 
near  Rocky  Creek.  The  next  day  after  slow  progress  for 
about  sixteen  miles,  the  division  crossed  the  Oothkalooga 
Creek  and  camped  near  Calhoun.  October  I5th,  at  daylight, 
the  column  started  north,  but,  crossing  the  Oostanaula  at 
Resaca,  it  turned  westward  through  Sugar  Valley  to  Snake- 
Creek  Gap.  Here  we  came  upon  the  Seventeenth  Corps 
skirmishing  with  the  rear-guard  of  Hood's  army.  The  road 
was  soon  gained,  but  the  numerous  obstructions  of  fallen 
trees  seriously  delayed  the  advance.  After  a  nineteen  mile 
tramp  we  halted  for  the  night  near  Villanow.  The  next  day 
we  passed  beyond  Villanow  about  seven  miles  and  bivou 
acked  at  Ship's  Gap  in  Taylor's  Ridge,  where  there  was  brisk 
skirmishing  in  our  front  and  some  prisoners  were  taken. 
Another  advance  of  seven  miles  the  next  day  brought  us  to 
Lafayette,  where  we  crossed  the  Chattooga. 

Here  we  turned  south  down  the  Chattooga  valley,  pro 
ceeding  fifteen  miles  on  the  eighteenth  to  the  vicinity  of 
Summerville,  and  about  ten  miles  on  the  nineteenth  to  a 
point  beyond  Alpine.  On  the  twentieth  we  marched  into 
Alabama  twenty  miles  to  Gaylesville,  and  October  twenty- 
first  six  miles,  crossing  the  Chattooga,  and  halted  at  Little 


MUSTER-OUT    OF    NON-VETERANS.  379 

River,  where  we  found  the  bridge  burned,  and  went  into 
camp.  Here  the  regiment  rested  three  days.  Rolls  were 
made  out  for  the  non-veterans  and  on  the  evening  of  the 
twenty-third  they  bade  the  regiment  farewell,  marching  for 
Rome  in  charge  of  Lieutenant  Jacob  Fink.  The  parting  be 
tween  comrades  whose  fellowship  was  now  to  be  ended 
probably  forever,  who  had  during  three  long  years  shared 
danger  and  toil,  hunger  and  thirst,  despair  and  elation,  side 
by  side,  was  an  affecting  one.  With  softened  looks  and 
voices  that  refused  to  hide  the  emotion  behind  them,  vet 
erans  and  non-veterans  shaking  each  other  by  the  hand,  in 
their  rough  but  hearty  way  bade  each  other  God-speed,  and 
separated.  Partly  by  cars  and  partly  by  marching  the  com 
pany  reached  Chattanooga  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  the 
month,  and  on  the  thirtieth  were  mustered  out  of  the  United 
States  service  in  due  form.  The  muster-out  rolls  bore  the 
names  of  one-hundred  and  sixty-two  soldiers,  from  that  day 
dropped  from  the  roster  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois. 

For  three  days  more  these  men  were  compelled  to  remain 
in  Chattanooga  awaiting  transportation  to  the  North.  They 
finally  reached  Nashville  November  4th  after  a  dismal  ride 
all  night,  upon  the  top  of  a  train  of  box  cars,  in  a  freezing  rain 
storm.  At  that  city  they  were  paid  their  final  dues  and 
furnished  transportation  via  Louisville  and  Indianapolis  to 
Chicago,  which  city  they  reached  on  Wednesday,  November 
Qth.  Four  commissioned  officers, —  Captain  C.  M.  Browne, 
Adjutant  F.  P.  Fisher,  and  Lieutenants  Jacob  Fink  and  Wil 
liam  D.  Lomax, — were  discharged  at  the  same  date  with  the 
enlisted  men.  Major  J.  J.  Heffernan,  Surgeon  E.  O.  F.  Roler, 
Captains  John  T.  McAuley  and  Henry  Augustine,  and  Lieu 
tenant  Joseph  Hartsook  were  mustered  out  a  few  days  later. 

October  25th  the  division  crossed  Little  River  upon 
a  reconnoissance,  halting  that  night  eight  miles  south  at 
Leesburg,  and  pushing  forward  fourteen  miles  the  next  day 
to  Turkeytown,  where  a  force  of  cavalry  was  driven  from 
its  barricades  by  the  Second  brigade  with  slight  loss.  At  a 
casual  halt  during  this  expedition  Sergeant-Major  Brown, 
hopeful  of  chicken  for  supper,  wandered  into  a  grove  in  rear 
of  a  dwelling,  when  a  "bushwhacker"  stepped  out  from  behind 


380  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

a  tree  and  fired  both  barrels  of  his  gun  at  him,  being  but  a 
few  paces  distant.  For  some  inexplicable  reason  the  bullets 
missed  the  target,  and  Brown  being  unarmed,  abandoned 
further  reconnoissance  without  delay,  and  supped  thankfully 
upon  army  rations.  This  was  the  nearest  approach  to  a 
casualty,  in  the  Fifty-fifth,  during  the  pursuit  of  Hood. 

October  27th  the  division  returned  to  its  camp  upon  Little 
River  and  there  remained  until  the  twenty-ninth,  when  the 
return  march  for  Atlanta  began.  Hood  had  escaped  over 
the  mountains  and  was  obviously  proposing  to  cross  the  Ten 
nessee.  His  campaign  against  our  communications  had  been 
brilliantly  conceived  and  managed,  though  unfruitful  in  its 
results.  It  had  dismally  failed  in  its  purpose  to  compel  Sher 
man's  army  to  loose  its  grip  upon  the  Empire  State  of  the 
Confederacy.  Hood  was  now  given  a  "free  pass"  to  encour 
age  his  progress  towards  higher  latitudes,  and  consigned  to 
the  ardent  attention  of  General  Thomas. 

All  the  surplus  ordnance  stores,  camp  utensils,  officers' 
property — everything  that  could  not  well  be  borne  upon  the 
soldier's  person  or  slung  to  the  regimental  mules, — had  been 
sent  back  to  Chattanooga  in  obedience  to  Sherman's  orders. 
Upon  coming  back  to  the  camp  at  Little  River,  it  was  found 
that  important  and  much  needed  company  papers,  and  Lieu 
tenant  Oliver's  entire  outfit,  had  by  some  oversight  gone  with 
the  superfluities.  The  captain  commanding  the  regiment 
anxiously  sought  leave  for  the  lieutenant  to  go  to  Chattanooga 
to  recover  the  property,  but  was  firmly  refused.  Oliver  then 
rashly  volunteered  to  run  his  own  risks  and  go  without  leave 
if  his  immediate  superior  would  consent.  The  captain  con 
niving,  the  lieutenant  started  off  on  foot  upon  his  desperate 
adventure,  daring  the  danger  of  court-martial  and  prompt 
dismissal  for  wilful  disobedience  of  orders,  if  detected;  and 
the  chances  were  altogether  in  favor  of  his  being  arrested 
before  he  could  compass  half  the  long  journey. 

He  reached  Rome  that  night  among  the  stragglers  of  the 
Twenty-third  Corps,  which  had  moved  for  the  North  the  day 
before.  Everything  had  already  left  Rome  save  the  hospital 
department,  and  that  was  merely  awaiting  a  train.  His  only 
hope  of  escaping  arrest  and  getting  north  by  the  cars  was  to 


OLIVER    VISITS    CHATTANOOGA.  31 

become  an  invalid.  Those  acquainted  with  the  stalwart  lieu 
tenant,  ruddy  and  robust  as  he  was  in  those  days  —  his  frame 
and  face  plainly  telling  of  muscles  that  never  were  tired  and 
bodily  organs  that  never  knew  an  ache  —  will  appreciate  how 
inconvenient  it  must  have  been  for  him  to  sham  illness.  He 
luckily  had  nothing  about  his  garb  to  mark  him  as  an  officer, 
and  he  managed  to  get  into  the  hospital,  where  he  persuaded 
an  attendant  that  he  was  in  a  suffering  condition,  and  hid  his 
brawny  limbs  in  a  blanket.  By  the  time  the  surgeon  came 
around  he  had  grown  very  sick  indeed,  his  genuine  mental 
distress  making  easier  a  dramatic  simulation  of  physical  woe. 
The  doctor  chanced  to  be  too  hilarious  as  well  as  too  pre-oc- 
cupied  with  the  business  of  removal  to  make  any  sharp- 
sighted  investigation  of  symptoms,  and  administering  the 
tonic  of  a  few  encouraging  words,  he  ordered  the  nurse  to 
provide  him  with  suitable  rations  for  the  journey  and  disap 
peared.  Before  light  the  train  bore  the  sick  away  for  the 
North,  Oliver  among  them,  with  two  big  loaves  of  bread 
beside  him;  he  had  managed  to  wheedle  an  extra  loaf  out  of 
the  attendant,  after  devouring  one  with  an  appetite  so  raven 
ous  as  to  awaken  critical  comments  from  his  pallid  compan 
ions. 

The  constant  succession  of  long  trains  bearing  supplies  to 
Atlanta  for  Sherman's  seaward-bound  army  delayed  progress, 
and  it  was  four  days  before  the  lieutenant  reached  Chatta 
nooga.  The  cars  had  not  stopped  when  he  leaped  off  and 
away,  without  waiting  to  thank  the  surgeon,  and  hurried  to 
find  the  men  having  charge  of  the  regimental  property.  He 
soon  obtained  the  articles  for  which  he  had  risked  his  good 
name,  but  now  found  himself  in  a  worse  plight  than  ever. 
The  order  prohibiting  soldiers  in  the  front  from  going  north 
without  pass  from  high  authority,  was  not  a  whit  more  strict 
than  that  forbidding  anybody  to  go  south  from  Chattanooga 
without  similar  permit.  For  some  hours  the  situation  wore 
a  quite  serious  aspect  to  Oliver;  but  his  luck  had  not  forsaken 
him.  He  suddenly  met  a  sergeant  of  the  Fifty-fifth  who  had 
come  down  the  road  in  charge  of  three  recruits,  and  was 
feeling  rather  chop-fallen  because  one  of  them  had  escaped 
from  him  at  Nashville.  The  lieutenant  stepped  into  the  gap 


382  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

thus  providentially  offered,  and  six  days  from  the  time  he 
deserted  the  regiment,  rejoined  it  when  on  the  march,  to  find 
a  captain's  commission  awaiting  him.  He  felt  that  he  had 
earned  it  by  his  week's  campaign,  and  he  never  was  seen  at 
the  rear  again  during  the  war. 

The  first  day  of  the  journey  towards  Atlanta  from  Little 
River  carried  the  brigade  over  the  Chattooga  and  Coosa 
Rivers,  a  distance  of  nine  or  ten  miles  only.  October  3Oth 
the  regiment,  with  spades  and  axes,  accompanied  the  wagon 
train,  serving  in  the  capacity  of  pioneers,  and  the  eighteen 
miles  advance  brought  it  to  the  state  line  at  Dyke's  Store. 
On  the  3 1st  the  march  ended  at  Cave  Spring.  During  the 
month  the  total  distance  traversed  was  about  two  hundred 
and  seventy-five  miles.  Commissions  had  arrived  promoting 
Robert  Oliver  and  Robert  Dixon  to  captains,  and  John  H. 
Fisher,  Luther  J.  Keyes  and  John  Warden  to  first-lieutenants. 
Captain  Nourse  had  received  orders  from  department  head 
quarters  to  report  to  General  F.  P.  Blair  as  Commissary  of 
Musters  for  the  Seventeenth  Army  Corps.  The  acceptance 
of  this  assignment  to  staff  duty  by  Captain  Nourse,  left 
Captain  Andress,  the  senior  officer,  in  command  of  the  regi 
ment.  The  Fifty-fifth  was  now  merely  a  skeleton  organiza 
tion,  having  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  effectives;  but 
all  present  were  hardy,  resolute  men,  conscious  of  their  glo 
rious  record,  and  proudly  positive  of  their  ability  to  outmarch, 
tire  out  or  outfight  anything  like  their  own  numbers  in  either 
army. 

During  the  first  five  days  in  November  the  march  contin 
ued,  averaging  about  fifteen  miles  daily  progress,  passing  in 
turn  Cedar  Town,  Van  Wert  and  Dallas,  and  ending  at  Vin- 
ing's  Station.  Here  the  regiment  rested,  to  prepare  for  a 
winter's  campaign,  the  fame  of  which  is  now  world-wide,  and 
then  was  foreshadowed  with  more  or  less  accuracy  in  the 
soldier's  gossip  around  every  Union  camp-fire. 


PART  III. 


FROM  ATLANTA  TO  CHICAGO. 


NOVEMBER,  1864,  TO  AUGUST,  1865, 


BY 


SERGEANT-MAJOR  JOHN  G.  BROWN. 


CHAPTER    X. 


FROM    ATLANTA   TO   THE    SEA. 

Q HERMAN  had  turned  his  back  upon  the  Confederate 
O  army  while  the  rash  Hood  was  pushing  westward  across 
Alabama  in  search  of  a  favorable  position  upon  the  Tennessee 
river,  whence  to  carry  out  his  avowed  purpose  of  Northern 
invasion.  He  now  proceeded  to  reorganize  his  own  army  for 
that  campaign  to  the  tide-waters,  which  for  its  strategic  bold 
ness  and  the  importance  of  its  results,  has  few  parallels  in 
the  history  of  wars.  With  almost  prophetic  sight  he  foretold 
the  inevitable  destruction  of  Hood's  army  by  Thomas,  and 
the  easy  victories  awaiting  his  own  veterans  upon  the  sea- 
coast.  He  wasted  no  time  in  cutting  loose  from  all  commu 
nication  with  the  North,  in  order  to  secure  the  proffered 
prizes. 

The  portions  of  the  Western  forces  destined  for  the  for 
ward  movement  were,  during  the  first  week  of  November, 
distributed  along  the  railway  from  Rome  to  Atlanta,  the 
Fifty-fifth  Veteran  Volunteers  being  at  Vining's  near  the 
Chattahoochee  River.  On  November  8th  a  vote  was  taken 
in  the  regiment  for  presidential  candidates,  when  Abraham 
Lincoln  was  found  to  have  received  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
one,  and  Major-General  George  B.  McClellan  fifteen  votes. 
This  proved  the  entire  confidence  felt  by  the  soldiers  in  the 
administration,  as  well  as  their  belief  in  the  necessity  for  a 
vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war.  Such  voting,  among  Illi 
nois  troops,  had  no  purpose  beyond  the  expression  of  political 
25 


386  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

preferences,  for  the  soldiers  of  that  state  were  disfranchised ; 
her  copperhead  legislators  having  refused  the  right  of  suf 
frage  to  those  absent  fighting  her  battles.  They  saw  the  men 
of  other  loyal  states  casting  their  ballots  in  the  camps  about 
them  to  be  counted  in  the  election;  but  their  own  state,  one 
of  the  brightest  stars  in  the  patriotic  constellation,  with  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  of  her  brave  sons  in  the  field  at 
the  front,  had  been  long  misrepresented  by  a  disloyal  legis 
lature,  whose  acts  evinced  a  greater  sympathy  with  the  rebel 
than  with  the  union  cause.  At  the  election  of  this  date  the 
loyal  people  of  Illinois  sharply  rebuked  at  the  ballot-box 
these  unpatriotic  servants. 

At  Vining's,  on  November  Qth,  Captain  Henry  Augustine 
of  Company  A,  whose  health  had  been  seriously  undermined 
by  the  malarious  climate  of  the  South,  parted  with  his  com 
mand,  having  been  mustered  out.  A  brave,  faithful  and 
kind-hearted  officer,  he  possessed  social  qualifications  that 
made  him  a  favorite  with  his  men.  He  left  for  Illinois  upon 
one  of  the  last  trains  that  went  North  from  the  doomed 
Atlanta. 

November  nth  news  of  the  re-election  of  President  Lin 
coln  was  received,  and  was  the  occasion  of  joyous  demon 
strations  throughout  the  whole  army.  His  overwhelming 
majority  was  a  proclamation  from  the  popular  heart,  declar 
ing  that  the  war  must  be  energetically  prosecuted  to  a  speedy 
end.  It  inspired  the  troops,  from  commander  to  drummer, 
with  renewed  zeal,  for  it  was  a  vote  of  confidence  that  for 
ever  silenced  the  copperhead  accusation  —  "the  war  is  a 
failure."  It  was  equal  to  a  re-enforcement  of  ten  thousand 
men  to  Sherman's  army.  The  refrain  —  "We'll  hang  Jeff 
Davis  to  a  sour-apple  tree,"  thereafter  pitched  upon  a  higher 
key,  resounded  from  camp  to  camp,  and  was  daily  heard 
along  the  line  of  march.  To  add  to  the  jollification,  the 
regiment  received  four  months'  pay  the  following  night,  just 
in  time  for  the  men  to  send  their  money  home  before  the 
abandonment  of  all  connection  with  the  United  States  mails. 

During  the  night  of  November  I2th  the  Fifty-fifth  was 
engaged  in  tearing  up  the  railway,  and  on  the  following  day 
it  crossed  the  Chattahoochee  and  went  into  camp  about  two 


DESTRUCTION    OF    ATLANTA.  387 

miles  from  Atlanta.  Here  clothing  was  issued,  and  clad  in 
their  new  garments,  the  boys  on  the  fourteenth  made  a  tour 
of  the  city,  then  fast  crumbling  into  shapeless  masses  of 
ruins  under  the  assaults  of  gunpowder  and  fire.  It  was  a 
strange  scene; — tens  of  thousands  of  the  boys  in  blue  jubi 
lant  over  their  dearly-won  victory,  with  here  and  there  a 
sullen  group  of  the  humiliated  citizens  of  this  lately  defiant 
town,  gazing  upon  the  systematic  destruction  of  the  great 
manufactories  and  store-houses  filled  with  machinery  and 
every  kind  of  military  supplies.  Atlanta  had  been  second 
only  to  Richmond  in  the  amount  and  variety  of  the  material 
furnished  the  Confederacy  for  the  prosecution  of  the  war. 
To  the  public  buildings  of  every  description,  railroad  station, 
arsenals,  and  the  machine  shops  and  foundries  in  which  had 
been  fabricated  cannon,  shot  and  shell  that  carried  death  to 
thousands,  the  torch  was  applied.  Nothing  was  left  standing 
that  could  again  be  of  value  for  military  occupation,  or  a 
source  of  menace  in  rear  of  the  advancing  Union  Army. 
And  amid  the  roar  of  devouring  flames  and  the  crash  of  fall 
ing  walls,  rose  the  exultant  voices  of  the  victors  singing— 

"John  Brown's  body  lies  mouldering  in  the  grave, 
But  his  soul  goes  marching  on." 

On  the  morrow  the  Fifty-fifth  took  its  assigned  position 
in  the  column,  and  the  memorable  march  began.  Some 
features  in  the  re-organization  of  the  forces  engaged  in  the 
campaign  may  fitly  precede  a  recital  of  incidents  attendant 
upon  the  march.  The  grand  army  under  the  command  of 
Sherman,  in  all  about  sixty-five  thousand  men,  consisted  of 
the  Fourteenth,  Fifteenth,  Seventeenth  and  Twentieth  Army 
Corps,  respectively  commanded  by  Generals  Jeff.  C.  Davis, 
P.  J.  Osterhaus,  F.  P.  Blair  and  A.  S.Williams,  and  a  division 
of  cavalry  under  General  H.  J.  Kilpatrick.  The  Fifteenth 
and  Seventeenth  Corps  constituting  the  Army  of  the  Ten 
nessee,  and  under  command  of  General  O.  O.  Howard, 
formed  the  right  wing;  and  the  Fourteenth  and  Twentieth, 
or  Army  of  Georgia,  under  command  of  General  H.  W. 
Slocum,  formed  the  left  wing.  The  cavalry  was  generally 
upon  the  extreme  left  of  the  advancing  columns,  which 


FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

moved  as  nearly  as  possible  by  parallel  roads,  and  usually 
five  or  six  miles  apart.  The  Fifty-fifth  retained  its  place  in 
the  First  brigade,  Second  division,  of  the  Fifteenth  Army 
Corps.  The  brigade  was  composed  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  One- 
hundred-sixteenth  and  One-hundred-twenty-seventh  Illinois, 
the  Sixth  Missouri,  the  Thirtieth  and  Fifty-seventh  Ohio; 
and  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Theo.  Jones,  the  division 
commander  being  Major-General  W.  B.  Hazen. 

The  Fifty-fifth  now  mustered  less  than  one  hundred  and 
fifty  men  and  officers  for  duty.  The  senior  captain,  Henry 
S.  Nourse,  being  detached  upon  the  staff  of  General  F.  P. 
Blair,  Captain  Charles  A.  Andress  commanded  the  regiment, 
with  Captain  Giles  A.  Hand  as  next  in  rank.  Charles  B. 
Tompkins,  formerly  assistant  surgeon  of  the  Seventeenth 
Illinois,  was  appointed  surgeon.  Sergeant-Major  J.  A.  Smith 
was  promoted  adjutant,  Principal  Musician  J.  G.  Brown  suc 
ceeding  him  in  the  former  office.  M.  M.  Potter  was  appointed 
quartermaster-sergeant,  Sergeant  Jacob  Sanford  commissary 
sergeant;  J.  L.  Burnsides,  hospital  steward;  William  Kutz  and 
J.  A.  Averill,  principal  musicians.  Although  the  regiment 
was  numerically  so  weak,  it  was  made  up  of  veterans  who 
had  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  on  many  bloody  fields,  had 
seen  hundreds  of  their  comrades  go  down  in  conflict,  and  who 
now  took  up  the  route  step  ready  for  any  fate,  but  confident 
that  victory  would  always  attend  them  until  treason  was 
finally  trodden  into  the  dust. 

By  sketching  the  events  of  any  ordinary  day's  march  a 
true  picture  of  many  will  be  given;  for  each  twenty-four 
hours'  experience  was  usually  a  repetition  of  the  last,  with 
but  slight  variations.  The  whole  campaign  was  so  entirely 
one  of  daily  march  and  nightly  bivouac,  that  it  has  been  ap 
propriately  named  "The  Grand  March  to  the  Sea." 

At  the  dawn,  before  the  sounding  of  reveille,  the  foragers 
were  bustling  about  preparing  their  breakfast  in  order  to  get 
an  early  start.  Though  but  a  small  fraction  of  the  army, 
they  formed  a  very  important  part  of  it,  for  they  gathered 
the  larger  portion  of  the  supplies  upon  which  the  troops  sub 
sisted.  But  twenty  days'  rations  of  bread,  with  coffee,  sugar 
and  salt  to  last  double  that  time,  were  carried  in  the  wagons. 


THE    DAILY    ROUTINE.  3^9 

Before  starting  out  from  camp  the  officer  in  charge  of  the 
foraging  detail  of  the  regiment  got  instructions  at  headquar 
ters  as  to  the  probable  place  where  the  column  would  halt 
for  the  night,  and  then  would  strive  to  first  reach  the  front, 
or  wander  far  to  the  flank  where  forage  of  all  kinds  could  be 
found. 

The  braying  of  some  disconsolate  or  hungry  mule  —  a  call 
no  sooner  heard  than  taken  up  by  a  hundred  others  whose 
sympathetic  feelings  were  aroused  —  always  preceded  reveille. 
Then  from  some  headquarters  would  sound  a  single  bugle- 
call,  quickly  followed  by  other  bugles  and  fifes  and  drums  in 
every  part  of  the  encampment;  after  which  countless  mules 
and  jacks  would  raise  their  highest  notes,  like  so  many  rival 
prima-donnas.  Thousands  of  fires  would  start  up  as  if  by 
magic.  The  whole  camp  was  immediately  astir,  and  every 
man  busy  about  his  share  of  the  labor  of  preparing  breakfast 
—  no  meagre  meal  of  musty  rations,  but  a  select  feast  from 
the  best  bill  of  fare  the  country  round  about  could  furnish. 
Often  in  the  limits  of  the  regiment  would  be  seen  beef,  veal, 
fresh  pork,  ham,  chicken,  turkey,  duck,  goose,  sweet  potatoes, 
honey,  corn-bread,  pan-cakes,  biscuits,  and  the  ever-present 
coffee — the  last  being  the  only  item  furnished  by  the  gov 
ernment.  Sufficient  was  generally  left  over  from  the  hearty 
morning  meal  to  amply  provide  the  haversacks  with  materials 
for  a  generous  wayside  lunch  at  noon.  In  fact,  supplies  were 
often  so  abundant  that  much  was  carelessly  thrown  away  by 
the  soldiers,  or  left  beside  the  fires  in  the  abandoned  camps, 
with  the  certainty  that  fresh  provisions  would  be  awaiting 
them  at  the  next  halting  place  for  the  night. 

The  march  of  the  column  was  regulated  systematically  in 
the  following  manner:  The  advance  regiment  of  each  bri 
gade  held  that  place  for  a  single  day,  taking  position  at  the 
rear  of  the  brigade  on  the  next  day.  The  leading  brigade  of 
a  division,  and  the  leading  division  of  the  corps,  observed 
the  same  routine.  Thus  the  advance  guard  of  today  became 
the  rear  guard  of  tomorrow,  and  the  post  of  honor  came  at 
long  and  regular  intervals  to  each  battalion. 

Breaking  camp  was  a  matter  of  easy  and  speedy  accom 
plishment,  as  there  was  little  equipage  that  the  soldiers,  camp 


39°  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

followers  and  pack  mules  did  not  carry  upon  their  backs.  A 
single  wagon  held  all  the  other  belongings  of  the  regiment. 
The  troops  at  the  front  had  to  wait  until  all  in  the  rear  of 
them  had  passed,  and  it  would  frequently  be  ten  o'clock  be 
fore  the  whole  column  got  upon  the  road.  The  artillery, 
ammunition  train,  commissary  and  other  wagons,  and  what 
ever  mounted  refugees  joined,  occupied  the  roadway.  The 
infantry  marched  at  the  side  most  exposed  to  attack,  in  order 
to  protect  the  train  from  any  sudden  dash  that  might  be 
attempted  by  Confederate  cavalry.  Upon  the  opposite  side 
were  driven  the  cattle,  and  following  them  were  usually  long 
lines  of  colored  refugees.  A  company  of  pioneers  led  the 
column  to  improve  the  way,  wherever  necessary.  This  order 
was  general,  except  that  at  the  rear  and  front  a  regiment  or 
two  occupied  the  road,  and  whenever  the  enemy  was  thought 
to  be  near,  and  a  battle  might  be  expected,  changes  were 
made  to  better  meet  the  exigency. 

In  the  rear  of  each  regiment  the  negro  cooks  led  donkeys 
loaded  with  cooking  utensils  and  provisions.  This  motley 
crowd  always  presented  a  very  ludicrous  appearance,  and 
among  them  almost  daily  occurred  incidents  irresistibly 
comic.  Upon  leaving  Atlanta,  Lieutenants  Ebersold  and 
Roberts  had  procured  elaborate  camp  conveniences  which 
they  arranged  in  two  improvised  mess-chests,  and  slung  them 
across  the  back  of  a  vigorous  mule.  They  congratulated 
themselves  upon  their  superior  arrangements  for  comfort,  and 
took  delight  in  tantalizing  their  brother  officers  who  were  not 
so  well  provided.  The  mule,  after  bearing  his  uncomfortable 
burden  in  meekness  for  a  short  time,  inaugurated  a  little 
rebellion  on  his  own  account,  which  he  managed  with  such 
energy  and  skill  that  the  mess-chests  were  very  soon  resolved 
into  their  component  parts,  and  the  various  utensils  and  pro 
visions  they  had  contained  were  scattered  along  the  road  and 
destroyed.  The  extraordinary  antics  of  the  mule  aroused 
the  noisy  mirth  of  everybody  but  the  two  unlucky  officers, 
and  their  disconsolate  countenances  only  increased  the  fun. 

A  brief  halt  was  always  taken  at  noon,  when  the  cheering 
aroma  of  steaming  coffee  would  soon  fill  the  air.  The  re 
freshing  draught,  with  the  abundant  lunch  from  the  haver- 


MARCH    AND    BIVOUAC.  391 

sacks,  made  a  good  meal,  and  the  contented  soldiers  were  on 
the  road  again,  singing  the  familiar  camp  songs.  Now  and 
then  a  stream  was  reached  that  required  bridging,  and  heavy 
details  would  be  hurried  to  the  front  to  aid  the  pioneers.  A 
few  hours  sufficed  to  bridge  a  considerable  river.  Sometimes 
rains  and  the  wheels  of  the  artillery  so  softened  the  roadway 
that  long  stretches  had  to  be  corduroyed;  then  the  infantry, 
by  brigades  or  divisions,  as  the  locality  demanded,  was  or 
dered  forward,  and  short  sections  were  assigned  to  each  regi 
ment.  Any  convenient  fence  rails  were  brought,  trees  were 
felled  and  the  larger  ones  split,  and  all  were  laid  close 
together,  forming  a  rough  but  firm  ballasting  over  the  slough. 
When  a  battalion  had  completed  its  section  it  was  moved  to 
the  front  and  another  assigned  it.  By  this  method  the  col 
umn  was  always  compact,  many  miles  of  road  could  be 
corduroyed  in  a  day,  and  the  distance  marched  was  very 
little  diminished  in  the  process. 

By  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  van  of  the  column 
usually  reached  the  camping-ground  selected,  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  which  would  be  found,  lining  both  sides  of  the 
way  for  a  long  distance,  the  foraging  parties,  guarding  their 
day's  acquisition  of  supplies  of  every  description.  As  soon 
as  a  regiment  filed  out  in  the  direction  of  its  place  for  the 
night's  bivouac,  every  fourth  man  made  a  dash  for  the  nearest 
fence  and  pre-empted  two  panels  over  which  he  stood  guard 
until  his  messmates,  after  the  regiment  had  stacked  arms, 
joined  him,  when  the  rails  were  borne  to  the  camp.  A  mile 
of  fence  disappeared  in  an  incredibly  short  time.  By  a  sim 
ple  arrangement  of  rails  covered  with  rubber  blankets  but 
toned  together,  comfortable  shelters  for  the  night  were 
quickly  built,  sufficient  to  protect  the  hardy  sleepers  beneath 
against  any  ordinary  storm.  Then  a  fair  division  of  the  for 
aging  party's  spoils  was  made,  and  a  bountiful  supper,  in 
variety  and  excellence  rivalling  the  morning's  feast,  was 
promptly  got  ready  and  enjoyed  with  a  zest  such  as  only  the 
appetites  of  soldiers  weary  with  a  day's  march  can  give. 

Supper  over,  there  followed  such  amusements  as  time  and 
place  permitted,  chief  among  which  were  always  the  singing 
and  dancing  of  the  colored  race,  celebrating  their  day  of 


392  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS    INFANTRY. 

jubilee.  Every  night  brought  new  artists  to  re-enforce  the 
original  minstrel  troupe,  and  some  new  attraction  varied  the 
entertainment. 

After  tattoo  the  whole  army  in  a  marvelously  brief  space 
of  time  was  wrapt  in  slumber,  and  succeeding  the  tumult  of 
the  evening,  the  quiet  that  reigned  in  the  midst  of  so  many 
disturbing  elements  was  remarkable.  Whether  after  a  hard 
day's  march  or  a  severe  battle,  or  before  an  expected  fight, 
the  tired  veteran  pushes  aside  all  thoughts  of  unpleasant  sur 
roundings,  and  fixing  his  meditations  upon  home  and  the 
dear  ones  far  away,  peacefully  falls  asleep  to  dream  of  them. 
At  the  sounding  of  taps  all  noises  die  away;  men  and  beasts 
of  burden  surrender  to  drowsiness,  and  the  fires  slowly  burn 
down  and  flicker  out.  Only  at  the  headquarters  of  the  prom 
inent  generals  is  the  universal  hush  broken.  While  the  weary 
musket-bearers  are  sleeping  with  no  concern  for  the  future, 
the  commanding  officers  are  intently  studying  maps,  planning 
the  movements  for  the  morrow,  and  sending  mounted  order 
lies  galloping  here  and  there  with  directions  to  their  subordi 
nates.  "And  around  the  slumbering  host  the  picket-guards 
keep  quiet  watch,  while  constant,  faithful  hearts  in  Northern 
and  Western  homes  pray  that  the  angels  of  the  Lord  may 
encamp  around  the  sleeping  army." 

The  first  two  days'  march,  thirty-five  miles,  was  in  a  south 
easterly  direction  from  Atlanta,  passing  through  Rough-and- 
Ready  and  McDonough.  It  brought  us  into  a  region  flowing 
with  milk  and  honey,  and  abounding  in  more  substantial 
provender,  for  which  all  were  hungering.  A  foraging  party 
consisting  of  three  men  from  each  company,  under  command 
of  Lieutenant  Scott,  was  sent  out  on  November  i/th.  This 
detail  had  advanced  but  a  few  miles  before  they  had  collected 
hams,  chickens,  turkeys,  honey,  sweet  potatoes  and  a  variety 
of  articles  of  food  in  quantity.  Some  horses  and  mules  were 
seized,  their  hiding  place  in  the  woods  being  disclosed  by 
communicative  slaves.  These  animals  were  speedily  har 
nessed  into  such  old  wagons  and  carts  as  could  be  found,  the 
spoils  were  loaded,  and  the  rude  train  was  started  in  search 
of  the  regimental  camping-ground.  By  some  misdirection, 
however,  the  party  failed  to  reach  the  command  that  night, 


ACROSS    THE    OCMULGEE.  393 

and  established  a  camp  of  its  own,  throwing  out  a  picket- 
guard  and  taking  all  needful  precautions  to  protect  them 
selves  and  their  valuable  commissary  stores.  Darkness  came 
on,  disclosing  lights  not  far  away,  which  upon  investigation 
proved  to  be  the  bivouac  fires  of  a  troop  of  Confederate  cav 
alry.  The  bright  reflection  from  the  camp-fires  of  the  Union 
column  showed  it  to  be  several  miles  distant.  In  the  early 
morning  the  cavalry  men,  not  having  discovered  their  neigh 
bors,  held  council  together  and  rode  away,  to  the  great  relief 
of  the  foragers.  After  a  hard  day's  march  the  regiment  was 
found  halted  near  Indian  Springs,  the  stores  of  food  brought 
were  quickly  distributed,  and  the  hungry  were  feasting  upon 
luxuries  rare  to  them. 

This  was  a  special  foraging  detail,  and  its  duties  ceased 
with  this  successful  expedition.  Later  a  permanent  party  of 
foragers  was  selected,  one  man  being  detailed  from  each 
company  of  the  regiment,  and  the  whole  put  under  command 
of  a  commissioned  officer.  Every  regiment  in  the  army  had 
a  similar  party.  The  more  exciting  adventures  of  the  Fifty- 
fifth's  detail  will  be  reserved  for  a  special  chapter. 

The  division  crossed  the  Ocmulgee  November  igth,  upon 
a  pontoon  bridge,  and  passed  through  Hillsborough  the  next 
day.  On  the  twenty-first  the  regiment  was  engaged  in  a 
slight  skirmish  near  Clinton,  and  the  following  morning  the 
First  brigade  was  ordered  to  throw  up  intrenchments  a  short 
distance  outside  of  that  town.  During  the  day  a  short  ad 
vance  was  made,  and  the  enemy  were  again  seen,  but  in  small 
force,  and  were  at  once  dispersed  by  a  single  volley.  At 
Griswoldville,  a  few  miles  south,  Walcott's  brigade  of  Gen 
eral  Wood's  division,  which  had  been  sent  towards  Macon  to 
create  the  impression  of  hostile  designs  upon  that  place,  was 
furiously  attacked  by  a  large  body  of  Georgia  militia,  under 
General  Phillips.  The  assault  was  made  with  more  dash 
than  discretion,  and  resulted  disastrously  to  the  undisciplined 
assailants.  This  fight  cleared  the  flanks  of  the  right  wing 
from  any  large  body  of  rebel  soldiers,  and  the  march  peace 
fully  continued.  General  Hardee  had  pushed  by  with  the 
main  body  of  his  command  to  attain  a  position  on  the  coast 
and  prepare  a  hostile  reception  for  us,  and  only  small  bodies 


394  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

of  cavalry  henceforward  were  met.  The  left  wing  of  the 
Union  army  occupied  Milledgeville,  and  with  Macon  safely 
passed,  the  chief  danger  and  strategic  difficulty  of  the  march 
was  over. 

The  Oconee  River  was  reached  near  Bell's  Ferry,  Novem 
ber  25th,  and  the  enemy  made  noisy  resistance  at  first  to  its 
passage,  but  decamped  in  the  night.  Here  the  division  re 
mained  in  bivouac  during  daylight  of  the  26th  while  other 
troops  were  crossing,  and  it  being  the  first  daylight  halt  since 
Atlanta,  the  opportunity  was  taken  by  the  men  to  wash  their 
clothing,  for  which  there  was  certainly  great  need.  Bell's 
Ferry  is  about  half  way  between  Atlanta  and  Savannah.  The 
division  moved  across  the  stream  upon  pontoons  in  the  even 
ing,  and  advanced  about  four  miles.  During  this  short  night 
march  to  the  new  bivouac  the  troops  were  noisily  gay,  keep 
ing  up  an  incessant  roar,  singing,  shouting,  and  imitating  the 
cries  of  bird  and  beast.  The  psalm-singing  Fifty-fifth  joined 
in  with  some  of  its  more  familiar  and  pathetic  hymns,  chief 
among  which,  of  course,  was  "Tobias  and  Tobunkus,"  lined 
and  led  by  Dorsey  Andress,  the  regimental  chorister,  with 
such  feeling  unction  that  it  would  have  brought  tears  to  the 
eyes  of  a  tobacconist's  sign. 

The  march  for  several  succeeding  days  was  uninterrupted 
by  hostile  demonstrations  or  serious  obstacle  of  any  kind. 
The  country  traversed  was  more  or  less  swampy  and  covered 
with  heavy  forests,  chiefly  of  pine.  Long  reaches  of  the 
roadway  had  daily  to  be  corduroyed,  the  wheels  of  the  artil 
lery  and  heavy  wagons  soon  sinking  up  to  the  hub  in  the 
loose  sand  when  wet.  The  weather  was  especially  pleasant, 
and  this  was  great  good  fortune.  Heavy  rains  would  have 
seriously  retarded  progress  in  this  low-lying  section  of  Geor 
gia.  Here  were  the  swamps  in  which  the  Confederate  author 
ities  and  newspapers  proclaimed  that  Sherman  and  his  army 
were  lost.  In  good  time,  however,  we  emerged  from  the  for 
est,  and  in  condition  to  meet  and  overcome  any  and  every 
obstacle  Nature  or  man  opposed  to  us.  The  whole  region 
was  sparsely  settled  by  a  people  devoid  of  enterprise  and 
rich  in  nothing  but  acres  of  pine.  Forage  became  scanty, 
but  the  daring  detail  of  the  Fifty-fifth  succeeded  in  keeping 


A    SKIRMISH    WITH    CAVALRY.  395 

the  commissary  department  fairly  supplied.  No  foragers  in 
the  whole  army  would  travel  further,  fight  more  persistently 
or  run  more  risks  in  procuring  the  needful  food.  The  regi 
ment  had  made  a  proud  record  by  its  hard  fighting;  it  now 
boasted  that  none  could  surpass  it  at  gathering  supplies. 

December  3d  the  near  presence  of  the  enemy  was  felt. 
The  entire  foraging  detail  of  one  of  the  Ohio  regiments  in 
the  brigade  was  captured.  The  next  day  the  Fifty-fifth  led 
the  advance.  The  foragers  of  the  corps  had  collected  in 
considerable  numbers  at  Statesborough,  a  high-sounding 
name  for  a  court-house  surrounded  by  a  few  dwellings.  Here 
they  were  suddenly  and  fiercely  attacked  about  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  by  a  large  force  of  rebel  cavalry,  and  driven 
back  upon  the  marching  column.  Several  of  their  number 
were  left  captive  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  The  regiment 
was  promptly  deployed,  and  soon  drove  the  Confederates 
through  the  little  town,  recapturing  the  forage  and  many  of 
those  taken  prisoners.  For  a  time  more  serious  work  was 
anticipated,  but  a  volley  which  killed  four  of  the  cavalry, 
including  a  major,  finally  routed  them.  Aaron  Lingenfelter 
of  Company  A,  one  of  the  regiment's  foragers,  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  enemy  for  a  few  minutes.  They  surrounded 
him,  and  shouted  to  him  to  surrender,  but  he  held  his  musket 
ready,  and  defied  them.  One  horseman,  more  impatient  than 
the  others,  accompanied  his  order  to  surrender  with  a  bullet, 
which  grazed  Lingenfelter's  side,  and  he  dropped  his  gun, 
but  kept  wrathfully  blackguarding  his  captors.  Just  then 
comrades  came  to  his  rescue,  and  he  picked  up  his  gun  again 
and  gave  the  fleeing  rebels  a  parting  shot. 

An  incident  occurred  at  this  place  which  may  illustrate 
the  sometimes  ludicrous  result  of  a  soldier's  obeying  the 
orders  of  his  superior  without  question.  In  early  morning 
the  picket-guard  brought  to  the  headquarters  at  the  court 
house  two  women  who  had  entered  the  lines.  The  officer, 
while  questioning  them,  seeing  that  they  were  shivering  with 
cold,  directed  one  of  the  guard  to  take  them  up  stairs  into 
the  court-room  and  build  a  fire  that  they  might  warm  them 
selves.  Although  there  was  neither  fire-place  nor  stove  in 
the  room,  this  did  not  prevent  the  disciplined  veteran  from 


396  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

obeying  orders.  He  piled  a  lot  of  kindling  and  fuel  upon  the 
floor,  deliberately  set  fire  to  it,  and  went  about  his  business. 
The  screams  of  the  women  brought  the  officer  upon  the 
scene,  who  could  only  order  the  women  removed  and  the  fire 
extinguished.  He  could  not  well  reprimand  the  soldier,  who 
had  only  obeyed  his  orders  implicitly,  observing  strict  disci 
pline  by  not  questioning  his  superior. 

As  the  army  advanced  more  impediments  were  met. 
Streams  became  more  numerous,  deeper  and  broader,  and 
swamps  more  difficult  to  pass.  In  some  of  the  latter  the 
men  were  forced  to  wade  for  long  distances  in  water  some 
times  waist-deep.  As  we  approached  Savannah  the  enemy's 
cavalry  made  its  proximity  felt  oftener.  Food  became  harder 
to  obtain  in  sufficient  quantities,  and  the  men  were  put  upon 
half  rations  of  coffee,  sugar  and  hard-tack,  the  stores  in  the 
wagons  being  nearly  exhausted. 

The  Canouchee  River  was  reached  at  Ball's  Bridge  on 
December  8th.  During  that  night  there  suddenly  arose  some 
skirmishing  and  cannonading  at  the  front  on  the  river's  banks, 
and  the  regiment  was  in  line  instantly,  but  all  speedily  became 
quiet  again,  and  we  slept  undisturbed  until  morning.  The 
enemy  having  fled  in  the  darkness,  we  crossed  the  stream  at 
noon  of  the  ninth  and  encamped  two  miles  beyond  it. 
Heavy  artillery  firing  was  heard  in  the  vicinity  of  Savannah, 
which  indicated  that  the  left  wing  was  at  last  pounding  at 
the  gates  of  Georgia's  metropolis,  twenty  miles  away.  We 
crossed  the  Canouchee  on  the  tenth,  passed  over  the  Ogeechee 
at  Dillon's  Ferry,  making  a  march  of  ten  miles,  and  went  into 
bivouac  about  nine  miles  from  Savannah,  on  Lloyd's  planta 
tion.  The  eleventh  was  spent  in  camp,  and  everything 
seemed  quiet  at  the  front.  On  the  twelfth  the  regiment  went 
out  with  a  forage  train,  returning  late  in  the  evening  with 
very  little  in  way  of  provision.  The  situation  was  fast  be 
coming  serious.  The  army  had  but  four  or  five  days'  rations, 
and  we  could  not  subsist  upon  what  the  country  afforded. 
A  "cracker  line"  must  speedily  be  opened. 

A  movement  to  the  right  ordered  on  December  I2th  indi 
cated  that  Fort  McAllister  was  to  be  our  next  objective  point, 
for  that  alone  prevented  easy  communication  with  the  Union 


CAPTURE    OF    FORT    MCALLISTER.  397 

fleet,  supposed  to  be  awaiting  us  with  supplies  in  Ossabaw 
Sound.  On  the  morning  of  the  thirteenth  the  Second  divis 
ion  recrossed  the  Ogeechee  on  King's  Bridge,  marched  thir 
teen  miles  and  halted  within  one  and  one-half  miles  of  the 
fort.  Three  regiments  of  each  brigade,  or  nine  in  all,  were 
ordered  to  unsling  their  knapsacks,  and  were  then  moved  to 
a  position  under  cover  near  the  works.  This  was  about  noon. 
The  Fifty-fifth  was  one  of  the  regiments  held  in  reserve,  a 
situation  it  never  before  occupied  when  there  was  fighting  in 
prospect  for  the  brigade.  The  men  felt  so  out  of  place  that 
some  of  them,  with  one  officer,  followed  the  assaulting  force 
and  went  into  the  fight  with  it.  A  Confederate  sentinel  had 
been  captured  about  a  mile  from  the  fort,  and  the  position  of 
a.  line  of  torpedoes  was  disclosed  by  him.  These  were  re 
moved  before  the  troops  advanced,  and  their  proposed  deadly 
effect  was  avoided. 

Before  General  Hazen  could  get  his  charging  line  into 
proper  proximity  to  the  fort  preparatory  to  the  final  assault, 
great  delay  was  occasioned  by  the  numerous  obstructions 
which  the  enemy  had  laboriously  prepared.  Meanwhile 
Generals  Sherman  and  Howard  were  impatiently  watching 
the  movements  with  their  glasses  from  Cheve's  rice  mill 
across  the  Ogeechee.  The  sun  was  fast  declining.  Sherman 
signaled  orders  to  hasten.  A  steamer  from  the  fleet  below 
came  into  view  about  four  o'clock  and  to  its  captain's  ques 
tion  whether  the  fort  had  been  taken, —  which  reached  Sher 
man  just  as  General  Hazen's  bugler,  J.  A.  Vaughan  of  the 
Fifty-fifth,  sounded  in  shrill  blasts:  "Attention!  forward, 
double-quick,  charge!" — the  commanding  general  replied: 
"Not  yet,  but  it  will  be  in  a  minute."  The  gallant  dash  of 
the  thin  line  fulfilled  the  promise.  A  short,  sharp  struggle 
ensued,  and  the  parapet  was  crowned  on  all  sides  by  the  old 
Second  division.  The  Second  brigade,  which  was  deployed 
on  the  left,  had  crept  up  under  the  bank  of  the  river  to  a 
point  quite  near  the  fort,  and  before  the  garrison  realized  the 
situation  the  men  were  pouring  over  the  embankments.  The 
other  portion  of  the  line  of  assault  experienced  more  diffi 
culties,  both  natural  and  artificial.  It  was  in  full  view  of  the 
riflemen  in  the  fort,  and  the  obstructions,  chief  of  which  were 


398  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

torpedoes,  retarded  its  progress;  but  it  struggled  on  without 
halt,  and  simultaneously  with  the  victorious  cheers  on  the 
left,  no  less  jubilant  shouts  from  right  and  centre  were  wafted 
on  the  evening  air  to  the  watching  generals'  ears. 

Our  sharpshooters  had  been  posted  in  easy  range  of  the 
gunners,  and  the  siege  artillery  of  the  fort  was  in  a  large 
measure  ineffective.  There  was  no  formal  surrender  of  the 
fort.  The  troops  poured  over  the  works  upon  the  defenders 
so  quickly  overwhelming  them  that  they  were  dumbfounded, 
and  all  firing  at  once  ceased.  The  garrison,  which  numbered 
but  two  hundred  and  thirty,  all  told,  lost  thirty-five  killed 
and  wounded.  The  attacking  force  had  twenty-four  killed 
and  one  hundred  and  ten  wounded.  Very  many  of  the  cas 
ualties  were  caused  by  the  exploding  torpedoes.  The  fruits 
of  victory  were  twenty-four  cannon  of  various  grades,  over 
one  hundred  small  arms  and  abundant  stores  of  ammunition 
and  provisions.  The  captured  officers  and  soldiers,  being 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  location  of  the  torpedoes 
which  guarded  the  channel  of  the  Ogeechee,  were  immedi 
ately  compelled  to  assist  in  the  removal  of  them,  and  com 
munications  were  soon  opened  with  the  fleet.  Light-draft 
vessels  speedily  came  up  to  King's  Bridge  in  rear  of  the  right 
wing  of  the  army,  bringing  the  needed  supplies. 

The  question  of  a  base  upon  the  sea-coast  was  thus  defin 
itely  solved.  A  successful  and  glorious  end  to  the  campaign 
was  attained,  for  though  Savannah  was  yet  in  possession  of 
the  Confederates,  it  was  invested  securely,  and  a  few  days 
would  suffice  to  compel  its  surrender  or  evacuation. 

December  I4th  the  regiment  encamped  on  the  beautiful 
grounds  of  an  extensive  plantation  called  Whitehall.  The 
weather  was  charming,  seeming  to  the  Northern  soldiers 
almost  summer-like;  and  when  at  night  the  full  moon  poured 
its  refulgence  upon  the  camp  nestling  under  the  cedars, 
pines,  and  live-oaks,  whose  long,  spreading  branches  were 
covered  with  hanging  moss,  it  presented  a  picture  worthy  to 
awaken  ecstacy  in  an  artist. 

While  in  this  camp  Lieutenant  Ebersold  and  two  officers 
of  another  regiment,  desiring  some  "wet  commissaries," 
sought  the  department  of  the  division  where  such  supplies 


A    MULE    RACE.  399 

were  to  be  obtained,  and  had  their  canteens  filled.  Ebersold 
rode  a  fractious  mule  and  his  comrades  were  mounted  upon 
fleet  horses.  During  their  return,  having  got  upon  a  piece  of 
road  that  invited  the  sport,  a  race  was  proposed.  The  mule 
was  given  a  few  rods  the  advantage  in  the  start  and  proved 
the  victor  in  the  first  contest.  Soon  another  good  piece  of 
road  admitted  a  second  trial  and  the  riders  of  the  horses 
accepted  another  challenge.  The  lieutenant's  mule  kept  the 
front  at  a  tremendous  rate,  but  meeting  a  team  at  a  turn  in 
the  road,  bolted  and  dashed  through  a  heavy  thorn  hedge, 
which  not  only  scratched  him  severely  but  frightened  him 
into  new  speed.  No  obstacles  could  daunt  the  madly  ex 
cited  animal,  and  his  daring  rider  was  not  to  be  unseated. 
More  hedges  were  met  with  which  lacerated  the  mule  and 
tore  the  clothes  of  his  rider.  The  camps  of  some  of  the 
troops  were  finally  encountered,  but  the  mule  was  no  re 
specter  of  place  or  person,  and  went  plunging  on  at  break 
neck  run,  with  his  rider  hanging  to  him  like  grim  death. 
The  soldiers  were  astir  about  their  quarters  getting  their  sup 
pers.  Dog-tents,  tables,  cooking  appliances,  and  everything 
about  the  camps  in  the  track  were  demolished.  Coffee-pots 
and  camp-kettles  were  upset  and  their  contents  splashed 
about.  Angry  yells  arose  from  every  command  which  the 
lieutenant  in  his  utter  helplessness  visited  so  unceremoni 
ously,  and  the  havoc  continued  until  the  the  Fifty-fifth 
encampment  was  gained,  when  the  race  ended.  The  quad 
ruped  looked  as  though  he  had  gone  through  a  threshing 
machine,  and  Ebersold  had  certainly  little  of  that  dignified 
appearance  which  he  has  of  late  been  noted  for  while  pre 
siding  as  chief  of  police  over  the  peace  of  Chicago. 

Our  rest  and  enjoyment  in  this  delightful  camp  and  its 
beautiful  surroundings,  were  of  short  duration.  December 
1 7th  found  us  on  the  march  along  the  Savannah  and  Gulf 
railroad,  which  the  division  destroyed  for  a  distance  of 
twenty  miles  from  the  Ogeechee.  Leaving  camp  before  the 
steamers  with  commissary  supplies  had  arrived  at  King's 
Bridge,  the  regiment  could  draw  no  government  rations,  and 
the  country  afforded  very  little  besides  rice.  The  very 
fatiguing  labor  of  tearing  up  the  track,  added  to  the  insufTi- 


400  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

ciency  of  food,  proved  severe  upon  the  men,  On  the  nine 
teenth,  in  the  evening,  we  received  full  rations  again,  and 
with  them  the  first  mail  matter  we  had  seen  for  six  weeks. 
To  say  that  all  were  made  doubly  happy  but  half  expresses 
the  situation.  The  gnawings  of  hunger  were  momentarily 
forgotten  in  the  anxiety  to  read  the  news  from  the  dear  ones 
at  home.  It  was  a  curious  spectacle:  the  half-starved  boys 
all  through  the  camps  reading  their  letters  held  in  one  hand 
while  devouring  hard-tack  from  the  other,  thus  exhibiting  a 
conflict  between  appetite  and  noble  sensibilities. 

On  December  2ist  the  civil  authorities  surrendered  the 
city  of  Savannah,  General  Hardee  having  escaped  with  his 
forces  into  South  Carolina.  The  same  day  we  finished  the 
destruction  of  the  railway  and  returned  to  our  beautiful  camp. 
This  victory  won  by  Sherman's  army  was  supplemented  by 
the  announcement  of  the  glorious  triumph  of  General  Thomas 
at  Nashville.  The  Christmas  present  of  Savannah  to  Presi 
dent  Lincoln  was  little  more  valuable  than  the  contributions 
from  the  armies  in  the  West.  The  true  greatness  of  our  suc 
cess  was  not  to  be  measured,  however,  until  its  bearing  upon 
the  succeeding  campaign  was  determined;  and  it  was  vastly 
enhanced  because  won  with  so  little  loss  of  life.  Many  regi 
ments  had  not  a  casualty  in  their  ranks,  and  the  health  of  the 
troops  was  excellent.  The  Fifty-fifth  could  muster  in  camp 
every  man  that  marched  from  Atlanta.  Hardly  a  dose  of 
medicine  had  been  administered  in  the  whole  campaign. 

Details  from  the  brigade  were  daily  sent  to  report  to  the 
ordnance  officer  in  Fort  McAllister,  to  assist  in  dismantling 
that  fortification.  Guns  and  military  stores  were  loaded  upon 
vessels  for  transportation  to  the  North.  The  weather  had 
become  suddenly  cold  and  blustering,  making  it  disagreeable 
living  in  our  slight  shelters.  On  the  first  day  of  the  new  year, 
1865,  we  marched  to  Savannah,  and  encamped  on  the  second 
just  outside  of  the  city.  Having  exhausted  all  other  supplies 
we  subsisted  entirely  upon  rice  during  these  two  days.  There 
was  great  abundance  of  this,  mostly  in  the  husk,  on  the 
neighboring  plantations;  but  rice  alone,  with  not  even  enough 
salt  to  season  it,  soldiers,  however  hungry,  found  to  be  an 
unsavory  dish.  Two  weeks'  rest  was  enjoyed  at  Savannah, 


IN    SAVANNAH.  4OI 

and  the  men  built  convenient  huts,  in  which  they  were  quite 
comfortable.  General  Logan  returned  and  assumed  com 
mand  of  his  corps  January  8th. 

Savannah,  which  ranks  as  one  of  the  most  beautiful  cities 
of  the  South,  did  not  seem  to  our  soldiers  to  bear  favorable 
comparison  in  many  respects  with  the  Northern  cities  of  sim 
ilar  size.  It  is  neither  remarkable  for  its  works  of  art,  nor 
for  fine  architecture.  Its  chief  features  of  attraction  to  us 
were  the  rows  of  beautiful  trees  along  the  streets,  and  the 
little  circular  parks  at  every  second  street  crossing.  A  pretty 
fountain  adorns  one  of  these  numerous  open  places,  and  a 
monument  to  the  memory  of  Pulaski  occupies  the  centre  of 
another.  The  streets  were  but  sandy  roads,  difficult  for 
travel. 

Great  freedom  was  allowed  the  enlisted  men  during  their 
two  weeks'  stay  here.  Thousands  of  soldiers  were  to  be 
daily  seen  strolling  about  the  streets,  and  the  relief  from  re 
straint  was  not  seriously  abused.  The  citizens,  many  of 
whom  retained  their  affection  for  the  old  flag,  manifested 
deep  interest  in  the  boys  in  blue,  treating  them  with  uniform 
courtesy;  and  the  respect  generally  shown  for  private  prop 
erty  by  the  troops  showed  their  appreciation  of  such  treat 
ment.  Several  Union  prisoners  who  had  escaped  and  been 
secreted  and  cared  for  by  loyal  citizens  came  out  into  the 
joyous  sunlight  to  welcome  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  and  rejoin 
their  comrades. 

The  colored  race  here  as  elsewhere  had  been  the  truest 
friends  of  those  who  were  unfortunate  enough  to  taste  the 
woes  of  captivity.  Thousands  of  old  soldiers  to  this  day 
bless  some  black-man  who  rendered  them  invaluable  aid  in 
the  hour  of  their  great  need.  And  though  ignorant  and  credu 
lous,  none  were  ever  found  who  gave  credence  to  the  tales  of 
their  masters  alleging  that  horrible  cruelties  were  the  common 
amusement  of  the  Yankees.  They  had  a  confidence  born  of 
inspiration  in  "Lincum's  sojers" — a  confidence  that  could  not 
be  shaken.  When,  as  it  often  happened  during  the  march, 
information  was  given  by  the  slaves,  it  could  always  be  relied 
upon,  and  again  and  again  the  neighborhood  of  the  enemy 
was  disclosed  and  the  secret  hiding  places  of  horses,  mules 
26 


402  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

and  forage  made  known,  to  the  great  advantage  of  the  army. 
One  day  there  came  into  the  lines  two  escaped  prisoners, 
bringing  with  them  an  aged  negro  upon  a  mule.  This  freed 
slave  had  hidden  them  in  the  swamps  and  fed  them  for  weeks, 
and  in  the  warmth  of  their  gratitude  the  men  vowed  that 
their  benefactor  should  ride  to  freedom  and  be  fed  on  the 
best  of  the  land  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 

The  freedmen  became  faithful  servants  to  the  soldiers  — 
to  enlisted  men  as  well  as  officers — in  camp  and  on  the 
march,  voluntarily  and  often  with  no  hope  of  pecuniary  re 
ward.  Every  mess  soon  had  its  black  waiter,  who  would  lead 
the  donkey  loaded  with  utensils  and  provisions,  do  the  cook 
ing,  and  perform  all  the  other  work  he  was  called  upon  to  do. 
Many  of  these  men  remained  with  the  regiment  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  and  some  came  North  with  it.  A  few  of 
the  more  faithful  colored  boys  of  the  Fifty-fifth  were  consid 
ered  as  much  a  part  of  it  as  those  sworn  into  the  service,  and 
when  the  hour  of  final  separation  came  a  hearty  shake  of  the 
hand  and  a  "God  bless  you"  was  given  them  with  the  warmth 
that  should  be  shown  to  a  true  and  tried  friend.  These  ne 
groes  realized  that  slavery  was  the  exciting  cause  of  the  war, 
and  that  the  result  of  the  conflict  would  determine  their 
future;  and  they  rarely  failed  to  do  their  whole  duty  by  those 
whom  they  recognized  as  their  self-sacrificing  benefactors. 

On  January  I4th  the  army  abandoned  its  camps  about 
Savannah  and  started  northward  to  pay  its  respects  to  that 
state  which  of  all  states  was  most  responsible  for  the  incep 
tion  of  the  unholy  rebellion.  The  soldiers  had  long  wished 
for  the  opportunity  to  set  foot  upon  the  soil  of  South  Caro 
lina,  and  the  anticipation  of  a  victorious  march  through  that 
hot-bed  of  secession  aroused  in  them  renewed  enthusiasm 
and  noisy  rejoicing.  The  long  pent  up  spirit  of  revenge  for 
sufferings  endured  and  comrades  slain  was  bound  to  burst 
forth  when  they  found  themselves  in  the  very  nursery  of 
sedition,  and  the  inhabitants,  conscious  of  their  responsibility 
for  the  war,  were  with  reason  terrified  at  the  rumor  even  of 
invasion.  They  could  but  dimly  foreshadow,  however,  the 
woes  in  store  for  them. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

FROM    SAVANNAH    TO    GOLDSBOROUGH. 

THE  Fifty-fifth  embarked  upon  the  steamer  George  Leary 
on  January  i6th,  and  after  a  few  hours  of  uneventful  ex 
perience  among  the  Atlantic's  waves,  it  entered  the  harbor  of 
Hilton  Head,  then  dotted  with  more  than  a  hundred  vessels 
of  various  tonnage,  all  flying  the  national  colors.  As  the 
steamer  neared  the  wharf,  the  last  rays  of  the  setting  sun 
were  kissing  the  salt  billows  and  playing  hide-and-seek 
among  the  rigging  and  sails  of  the  fleet,  numerous  bands 
were  discoursing  their  choicest  music,  and  the  admiring  sol 
diers  of  the  West  gave  cheer  upon  cheer  in  their  exultation 
amid  these  impressive  surroundings.  A  camp  was  selected 
a  short  distance  beyond  Beaufort,  where  the  regiment  re 
mained  nearly  a  fortnight  in  luxurious  ease,  save  that  in  fair 
weather  the  men  were  daily  exercised  for  two  or  three  hours 
in  battalion  drill.  To  most  of  the  Western  soldiers  the  oys 
ter  was  a  very  rare  delicacy,  but  here  the  bivalves  were  so 
abundant  and  cheap  that  all  feasted  upon  them  without  stint. 
During  the  last  days  of  the  month  of  January  the  division 
was  engaged  in  building  corduroy  roads  in  the  direction  of 
Pocotaligo,  the  weather  being  rainy  and  the  swamps  flooded. 
The  whole  army  was  in  motion  on  the  thirtieth,  and  the  inva 
sion  of  South  Carolina  had  begun.  The  Seventeenth  Corps 
was  the  right  flanking  column,  next  the  Salkehatchie  River. 
The  Fifteenth  Corps  marched  on  a  parallel  road  a  few  miles 
to  the  left,  and  the  Fourteenth  and  Twentieth  moved  from 
the  Savannah  River.  Thus  if  the  crossing  of  the  Salke 
hatchie  was  disputed,  or  the  line  of  the  Charleston  and 


404  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

Augusta  railway  defended,  as  was  to  be  anticipated  if  com 
petent  generalship  governed  Confederate  councils,  a  junction 
of  Union  forces  could  be  speedily  effected  sufficient  to  sweep 
everything  before  it.  The  weather  was  all  that  could  be  de 
sired,  and  the  roads  were  excellent  where  they  had  become 
dry. 

After  passing  Pocotaligo,  from  which  the  enemy  had  been 
driven  several  days  before  with  little  loss,  clouds  of  black 
smoke  soon  began  to  darken  the  sky.  All  deserted  residences 
and  other  structures  supposed  to  belong  to  slave-holders  were 
sure  to  have  the  torch  applied  to  them.  This  incendiarism 
was  of  course  without  authority,  and  clandestine.  The  at 
tempts  of  the  general  officers  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps  to  pre 
vent  wanton  destruction  were  constant  and  vigorous,  but 
availed  little.  South  Carolina  was  to  reap  the  reward  for  her 
hellish  work  in  precipitating  rebellion.  She  had  been  fore 
most  in  sowing  the  whirlwind,  and  she  was  to  reap  a  cyclone. 
In  her  central  position  she  doubtless  expected  to  be  secure 
from  the  devastating  tread  of  hostile  armies,  but  fifty  thou 
sand  patriots  had  sought  her  out,  and  in  their  triumphal 
march  with  fire  and  sword  made  her  pay  dearly  for  her  vanity 
and  selfishness.  Throughout  the  state  the  progress  of  each 
corps  was  signaled  far  and  wide  by  the  columns  of  flame  and 
smoke  that  day  by  day  rose  from  burning  buildings,  as  the 
army  moved  northward  by  parallel  routes. 

The  Fifty-fifth  had  the  advance  on  February  2d,  and  skir 
mished  with  cavalry  at  different  times  during  the  day,  sus 
taining  no  loss.  In  the  evening  the  enemy  were  found  in 
considerable  force  across  Duck  Creek,  when  the  brigade  was 
brought  into  line,  and  after  a  lively  fusilade  dislodged  them. 
Five  rebel  dead  were  found  and  several  prisoners  were  taken. 
The  brigade  lost  three  wounded.  In  this  position  we  remained 
the  following  day,  waiting  for  other  troops  to  cross  the  stream. 
The  regimental  foragers  came  in  on  the  evening  of  February 
4th,  bringing  an  abundant  supply  of  provisions,  which  were 
much  needed. 

The  Big  Salkehatchie  was  crossed  at  Buford's  Bridge  on 
the  fifth,  and  the  Little  Salkehatchie  near  Springtown  Church, 
on  the  sixth.  The  resistance  encountered  was  easily  over- 


INVASION    OF    SOUTH    CAROLINA.  405 

come,  probably  because  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  by  dashing 
assaults,  had  crossed  the  river  and  carried  two  strong  posi 
tions  several  miles  below.  An  extensive  tete  de  pont  con 
fronted  the  Fifteenth  Corps  at  Buford's  Bridge,  but  its 
garrison  had  fled.  It  had  been  foretold  that  Hardee,  whose 
army  numbered  thirty  thousand,  would  make  a  persistent 
stand  on  the  Salkehatchie  line,  and  its  speedy  abandonment 
was  a  surprise.  The  following  day  preparations  were  ordered 
for  a  contest  to  get  possession  of  the  Augusta  and  Charles 
ton  railroad.  It  is  said  that  Generals  Howard  and  Logan 
were  in  consultation  about  the  details  of  a  general  advance 
for  this  purpose,  when  a  forager  upon  a  white  mule  came 
cantering  from  the  front  and  saluted  them  with  "Hurry  up! 
hurry  up!  We've  got  the  railroad."  The  bummers  and  for 
agers  had  taken  the  road  at  two  or  three  points  about  Mid 
way,  and  were  already  throwing  up  defensive  works  to  hold 
it,  while  the  generals  were  planning  for  the  attack.  One  day 
was  spent  in  tearing  up  the  roadway,  and  the  command  was 
again  "forward." 

The  South  Edisto  was  reached  on  the  ninth,  at  Holman's 
Bridge,  and  the  rebel  infantry  were  found  holding  the  oppo 
site  bank.  To  the  First  brigade  was  assigned  the  duty  of 
forcing  a  crossing.  The  Fifty-fifth  was  deployed,  and  its 
skirmishers  were  soon  engaged  at  short  range  across  the 
deep,  narrow  river.  The  Confederate  sharp-shooters,  con 
cealed  in  the  trees,  made  it  extremely  hot  for  a  time,  and  it 
was  found  hopeless  to  attempt  a  passage  in  front  of  the 
works.  Captain  Andress,  with  a  lieutenant  and  twenty-three 
men,  by  a  circuitous  route  through  the  swamp,  finally  effected 
a  crossing  higher  up  the  stream.  After  safely  passing  one 
channel  or  bayou,  they  had  to  wade  for  two  or  three  hours  in 
water  from  one  to  two  feet  deep,  before  reaching  the  main 
river,  which  they  at  last  got  over  by  walking  out  upon  a 
drifting  raft  of  logs  and  brush  as  far  as  possible,  and  then 
wading  in  water  waist  deep.  They  soon  became  aware  that 
a  camp  of  Confederate  cavalry  was  within  sixty  rods  of  them, 
and  that  their  approach  was  apparently  not  suspected.  This 
force  was  evidently  the  reserve  of  that  engaged  at  the  bridge 
a  mile  away,  and  it  was  determined  to  attack  the  camp,  trust- 


406  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

ing  that  the  surprise  would  rout  the  detachment,  and  that  the 
main  body  at  the  bridge,  supposing  themselves  assailed  in 
the  rear,  would  at  once  give  way. 

Skirmishers  were  sent  forward,  but  when  within  about 
thirty  rods  of  the  camp  were  brought  to  a  stand  by  a  mill- 
race.  Observations  from  this  point  being  reported  to  Captain 
Andress,  he  prudently  ordered  a  withdrawal,  his  force  being 
too  small  to  give  hope  of  a  successful  surprise.  Sergeant 
Bigbee,  who  had  command  of  the  skirmishers,  could  with 
difficulty  restrain  his  men  from  firing  upon  an  unsuspecting 
straggler  from  the  camp,  who  came  out  within  range  of  their 
place  of  concealment.  In  their  retreat  they  were  discovered 
by  a  rebel  sentinel,  and  a  great  commotion  was  noticed;  but 
no  attempt  was  made  to  pursue  them.  Darkness  closing 
down,  after  long  and  tiresome  wading  through  the  swamp,  all 
effort  to  regain  the  command  that  night  was  abandoned. 
The  party  found  as  dry  a  spot  of  ground  as  they  could  and 
lay  down  together,  cold,  wet  and  hungry,  to  await  the  open 
ing  of  another  day.  The  next  morning  they  rejoined  the 
regiment  to  find  that  the  Confederates  had  withdrawn  from 
their  intrenchments  at  the  bridge,  no  doubt  hastened  by  the 
report  from  their  reserves  that  the  Yankees  were  crossing  the 
river  above.  The  Seventeenth  Corps  had  crossed  at  Binnak- 
er's  Bridge,  several  miles  below,  during  the  night. 

Intrenchments  were  now  thrown  up  at  the  end  of  each 
day's  march,  for  the  enemy  was  reported  to  be  in  our  front 
in  great  strength.  The  North  Edisto  was  reached  February 
1 2th.  Shilling's  Bridge,  our  intended  place  of  crossing,  had 
been  burnt,  and  rifle-pits  strongly  manned  blocked  the  road. 
While  the  Second  brigade  engaged  the  enemy  here,  General 
Hazen  led  the  First  and  Third  two  miles  below.  A  floating 
bridge  was  quickly  constructed  and  a  crossing  effected,  but 
a  swamp  was  found  beyond  three-fourths  of  a  mile  wide,  and 
flooded  to  a  depth  varying  from  one  to  five  feet.  The  gen 
eral  and  staff  led  the  way,  and  the  First  brigade  followed 
without  waiting  for  orders.  For  a  time  short  men  were  at  a 
discount.  The  Third  brigade  followed  closely,  and  the  troops 
at  the  bridge,  finding  themselves  completely  flanked,  beat  a 
hasty  retreat,  the  Second  brigade  crossing  in  time  to  capture 


APPROACHING    COLUMBIA.  407 

over  fifty  prisoners.  The  total  loss  in  the  division  was  re 
ported  as  one  killed,  one  drowned  and  four  or  five  wounded. 
The  Seventeenth  Corps  at  the  same  hour  occupied  the  little 
city  of  Orangeburg.  Thus  the  swamps  of  South  Carolina, 
which  the  Confederates  boasted  were  to  swallow  up  Sherman 
and  his  army,  were  safely  passed  with  insignificant  loss,  and 
the  whole  force  with  all  its  trains  was  upon  high  ground,  with 
the  broad  highways  leading  east  to  Charleston  and  north  to 
Columbia  open  before  it.  Which  way  would  it  turn?  The 
average  soldier  hardly  troubled  himself  to  ask  the  question. 
All  roads  were  the  same  that  led  to  victory. 

To  illustrate  the  recklessness  of  soldiers  the  following 
simple  incident  is  given:  On  the  morning  of  the  thirteenth, 
while  the  regiment  was  patiently  waiting  to  take  its  proper 
place  in  the  moving  column,  the  writer  climbed  a  tall  pine  to 
see  which  course  the  advance  took  after  marching  through 
Orangeburg,  a  mile  ahead.  One  of  the  men,  as  a  practical 
joke,  began  chopping  down  the  tree.  An  order  to  "come 
down  out  of  that"  being  unheeded,  the  chopping  was  per 
sisted  in,  and  finally  the  tree  and  the  game  fell  to  the  ground, 
the  latter  with  an  injured  foot  which  made  riding  in  an  ambu 
lance  for  a  few  days  a  necessity. 

Turning  towards  Columbia  the  army  was  brought  into 
more  compact  arrangement  in  expectancy  of  battle,  for  the 
Confederate  generals  had  been  given  ample  time  to  perfect 
concentration  and  prepare  for  a  stubborn  resistance  in  de 
fence  of  the  state  capital.  As  we  drew  near  Columbia, 
entering  a  more  densely  peopled  district,  the  whole  country 
seemed  on  fire  at  times.  The  inhabitants  of  that  city  could 
plainly  see  the  columns  of  smoke  rapidly  coming  nearer  day 
by  day,  and  anticipate  the  retribution  about  to  overwhelm 
them.  The  First  division  encountered  a  large  force  of  Con 
federates  at  Congaree  Creek,  south  of  and  about  five  miles 
from  Columbia.  This  force  was  soon  pushed  back,  and  was 
pursued  by  both  the  First  and  Second  divisions,  which  took 
position  with  their  right  resting  on  the  Congaree  River,  and 
their  left  at  Congaree  Creek.  Here  earth-works  were  quickly 
thrown  up.  It  was  dark  before  the  line  was  fully  established, 
and  the  camp-fires  disclosed  its  direction  to  the  enemy. 


FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS    INFANTRY. 

About  nine  o'clock  a  rebel  battery  opened  from  across  the 
river,  completely  enfilading  the  works.  In  an  instant  the 
fires  were  extinguished,  and  each  company  made  a  right 
wheel  and  built  traverses  for  protection,  in  the  shelter  of 
which  the  men  lay  until  morning.  The  battery  annoyed  the 
line  all  night,  firing  shells  at  regular  intervals.  Some  of 
Company  F  had  a  turkey  boiling  in  a  camp-kettle  when  the 
battery  got  the  range.  A  shell  struck  the  kettle,  and  not  a 
fragment  of  that,  and  only  a  faint  smell  of  turkey,  could  be 
afterwards  discovered.  The  language  aired  upon  that  occa 
sion  would  create  consternation  in  a  Sabbath-school. 

At  dawn  the  advanced  skirmishers  found  the  Congaree 
Bridge  at  Columbia  destroyed,  and  a  battery  upon  the  oppo 
site  shore  fired  on  them.  A  few  cavalry  soldiers  and  numbers 
of  citizens  were  rushing  to  and  fro  in  the  streets,  or  watching 
for  the  approach  of  Sherman's  army. 

The  Second  division  moved  at  once  to  the  Saluda  River, 
two  miles  beyond.  The  bridge  at  Saluda  factory  had  been 
burned.  Generals  Sherman,  Howard,  Slocum  and  Logan 
came  up  together,  and  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  with  the  Thir 
tieth  Ohio,  were  ordered  to  cross  the  river  upon  pontoons  in 
the  face  of  the  rebels,  push  across  to  the  Broad  River,  and 
save  the  bridge  over  that  stream,  if  possible.  The  order  was 
executed  with  a  will.  The  enemy  were  driven  on  the  double- 
quick  over  the  two  miles  between  the  Saluda  and  the  Broad, 
and  across  the  covered  bridge;  but  the  planks  had  been  tur 
pentined,  and  a  match  set  the  bridge  in  a  blaze  instantly, 
which  prevented  the  Fifty-fifth  from  being  the  first  of  the 
Union  army  to  enter  Columbia.  During  the  charge  over  the 
peninsula,  one  of  the  regiment  is  said  by  his  comrades  to 
have  passed  through  a  smoke-house  that  stood  in  his  way, 
and  to  have  come  out  with  a  ham  upon  his  bayonet,  without 
losing  a  step.  Sergeant  Mills  of  Company  A  ran  a  Confed 
erate  cavalry-man  into  such  close  quarters  that  he  dropped 
his  saddle-bags  filled  with  corn-bread  and  boiled  sweet  pota 
toes,  which  came  very  opportunely  in  the  dearth  of  rations 
then  existing. 

During  the  night  pontoon  bridges  were  thrown  over  both 
the  Saluda  and  Broad,  and  on  the  morning  of  February  i;th 


BURNING    OF    COLUMBIA.  409 

the  army  marched  triumphantly  into  humiliated  Columbia. 
The  Fifteenth  Corps  had  the  advance.  The  city  was  soon 
filled  with  thousands  of  straggling  soldiers,  who  seemed  to 
believe  that  the  judgment  day  for  South  Carolina  had  arrived, 
and  that  they  were  ordained  to  pass  and  execute  sentence 
upon  her  capital.  Before  the  army  entered  the  city  bales  of 
cotton  were  burning  in  several  places  along  the  chief  streets. 
The  wind  rose  during  the  evening  to  a  gale,  scattering  flocks 
of  smoking  cotton  far  and  wide.  By  these,  aided  doubtless 
by  the  incendiary  matches  of  escaped  prisoners  and  inebri 
ated  soldiers,  the  central  portion  of  Columbia  was  fired  and 
rapidly  swept  away  in  storm-driven  flames.  An  immense 
amount  of  supplies  and  munitions  of  war  of  all  kinds  had 
been  collected  here  for  safety  and  distribution.  Some  of 
these  had  already  been  destroyed  by  Hampton's  cavalry  to 
prevent  them  from  falling  into  Union  hands.  What  remained 
that  could  not  at  once  be  utilized  by  the  army  were  burned, 
thrown  into  the  river,  or  blown  up  with  the  arsenal.  The 
beautiful,  unfinished  capitol  was  not  seriously  injured, 
although  the  stately  facade  will  long  bear  a  scar  or  two  made 
by  De  Gress's  Battery  from  the  other  side  of  the  river,  in  the 
first  salute  paid  to  the  Confederate  flag  floating  over  it. 

The  scenes  of  that  night  were  the  most  horrible  of  the 
kind  we  had  seen  during  the  whole  war.  The  fire  spread  in 
all  directions  from  many  centres.  Shifting  winds  scattered 
the  burning  brands  from  roof  to  roof,  and  from  one  part  of 
the  city  to  another.  Brigades  were  ordered  out  to  fight  the 
flames,  and  the  generals  used  their  best  efforts  to  this  end; 
but  for  a  long  time  all  labor  was  fruitless.  The  seal  of  de 
struction  had  been  set  upon  the  city,  and  it  was  doomed. 
Hundreds  of  the  terror-stricken  inhabitants  were  running 
hither  and  thither  to  save  themselves  and  what  few  things 
they  could  wrest  from  the  fire-fiend.  Women  and  children 
left  roofless  were  seeking  shelter  with  wringing  hands,  cries 
of  anguish,  and  faces  paled  with  mortal  fear.  About  forty 
blocks,  including  all  the  chief  business  portion  of  the  place, 
and  the  best  of  the  private  residences,  were  entirely  wiped 
out.  Columbia  was  a  beautiful  city,  and  its  destruction  was 
a  severe  blow  to  its  inhabitants  and  to  the  state.  The  people 


410  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

began  more  fully  to  realize  that  their  cause  was  lost,  and  their 
property  at  the  mercy  of  a  long-suffering  and  victorious 
army. 

Little  comment  need  be  made  respecting  the  manner  of, 
and  responsibility  for,  the  burning  of  Columbia.  It  only  paid 
the  just  penalty  for  its  treason.  It  was  among  the  first  to 
cry  out  for  war,  and  at  length  reaped  its  reward.  If,  as  sol 
diers  mostly  believed,  the  conflagration  was  in  some  measure 
due  to  the  revengeful  action  of  scores  of  escaped  prisoners, 
fresh  from  the  terrible  sufferings  needlessly  inflicted  by  their 
Southern  jailers,  few  that  saw  the  condition  of  these  men 
will  harshly  blame  them.  The  chief  officers  of  the  Union 
army  made  every  exertion  to  stay  the  flames. 

Among  all  the  gloomy  and  distressing  surroundings  shone 
out  the  smiling  faces  of  the  colored  people.  The  welcome 
given  to  General  Sherman  by  the  negroes  was  singularly 
touching.  As  has  been  told  by  a  historian  of  the  campaign, 
they  greeted  his  arrival  with  exclamations  of  unbounded  joy. 
"Tank  de  Almighty  God,"  they  said,  "Mister  Sherman  has 
come  at  last.  We  knew  it;  we  prayed  for  de  day,  and  de 
good  Jesus  heard  our  prayers.  Mr.  Sherman  has  come  wid 
his  company."  Groups  of  negroes  lined  the  streets  and  sent 
up  cheers  of  welcome  to  the  passing  column.  They  seemed 
to  realize  that  the  destruction  of  their  masters'  power  was 
their  own  salvation.  While  the  whites  were  crest-fallen,  and 
plainly  showed  their  distressed  state  of  mind,  the  blacks 
were  joyous  and  exultant.  They  believed  that  the  day  of 
jubilee  had  come.  An  old  colored  couple  occupied  a  small 
building  which  was  miraculously  left  in  the  heart  of  the  burnt 
district.  They  knew  that  the  Almighty  had  specially  pre 
served  them,  and  no  one  was  disposed  to  dispute  this  when 
viewing  the  surroundings. 

All  the  railroads  leading  into  Columbia  were  soon  com 
pletely  destroyed.  This  work  was  done,  as  in  many  instances 
before,  by  distributing  the  troops  along  the  road-bed  and 
assigning  a  portion  to  each  regiment.  Two  sets  of  men, 
using  a  rail,  pried  up  the  track;  others  piled  the  ties  with  the 
rails  in  the  centre,  the  ends  projecting  several  feet  from  the 
pile;  fire  was  started,  and  when  the  rails  were  so  hot  that  the 


ON    THE    WAY    TO    CHERAW.  4*1 

ends  dropped,  short  levers  with  couplings  fastened  to  them 
were  applied  by  two  or  three  men  to  each  end  of  a  rail,  one 
party  twisting  one  way  and  the  other  in  the  opposite  direc 
tion.  In  this  manner  each  rail  for  several  feet  in  the  centre 
was  made  to  look  like  a  cork-screw.  Sometimes  rails  were 
bent  around  the  trees  near  the  track.  These  were  called 
Jeff  Davis's  neck-ties.  One  regiment  could  thus  destroy 
several  miles  in  a  day. 

The  army  resumed  the  march  on  February  2Oth,  and 
reached  the  Wateree  River  on  the.  22d,  whence  a  small  force 
of  the  enemy  was  dispersed,  a  pontoon  bridge  laid,  and  the 
troops  safely  crossed.  The  regiment  was  in  front  on  pioneer 
duty  on  the  twenty-third,  but  the  country  being  broken  and 
the  roads  good  it  had  little  work  to  do. 

On  February  24th  we  passed  through  Camden  of  revolu 
tionary  fame,  where  a  lot  of  old  whiskey  and  bottled  wine 
was  captured.  Some  of  the  last  had  seals  over  the  corks 
dated  1832.  It  had  rained  all  day,  the  men's  clothing  was 
completely  soaked,  and  they  went  into  bivouac  weary  and 
down-hearted.  A  copious  inward  application  of  the  captured 
juice  of  the  grape  counteracted  fatigue,  drove  away  trouble, 
and  cheerfulness  reigned  throughout  the  camp.  The  regi 
ment  acted  as  rear  guard  on  the  twenty-fifth,  and  with  the 
Thirtieth  Ohio  encamped  at  Kelly's  Bridge  over  Lynch 
Creek,  while  the  rest  of  the  brigade  advanced  six  miles  to  a 
bridge  higher  up  the  stream.  We  joined  it  the  following 
morning,  then  countermarched  to  the  same  ground  we  had 
occupied  the  night  before;  all  of  which  extra  fatigue  was 
occasioned  by  a  miscarriage  of  orders.  Some  of  the  Fifty- 
fifth  foragers  were  missing  for  three  days,  but  returned  with 
a  lot  of  mules  and  more  wet  weather  antidotes,  which  were 
greatly  needed,  as  it  rained  daily.  These  rains  so  raised  the 
creek  that  the  army  did  not  move  until  March  1st.  The 
streams  and  bottom  lands  for  a  long  distance  had  to  be 
bridged,  when  the  water  subsided  enough  to  permit  it.  Be 
fore  all  had  crossed,  the  water  had  fallen  so  that  most  of  the 
bridging  was  removed  from  the  road. 

We  reached  Cheraw  on  the  Great  Pedee  during  the  fourth. 
There  had  been  a  camp  rumor  that  thirty  thousand  Confed- 


412  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

erate  troops  were  awaiting  us  here,  prepared  to  obstinately 
defend  the  place,  and  that  General  Lee  had  said  that  Sherman 
must  be  defeated  at  Cheraw;  yet  a  few  hundred  foragers 
took  it.  It  was  also  reported  that  as  the  army  neared  the 
place  General  Sherman  sent  a  message  to  General  Logan, 
directing  him  to  halt  his  command  and  let  the  Twentieth 
Corps  occupy  the  town,  as  that  division  of  the  army  had  not 
yet  had  the  honor  of  taking  any  important  point  during  the 
campaign.  General  Logan  replied  by  messenger:  "I  have 
halted  my  corps,  but  my  bummers  took  Cheraw  yesterday." 
A  large  amount  of  merchandise  and  munitions  of  war  had 
been  accumulated  here,  having  been  brought  hither  from 
Charleston  at  the  beginning  of  the  campaign,  when  Sherman 
was  supposed  to  be  moving  upon  that  city.  The  enemy 
made  such  haste  to  escape  from  our  advance  that  everything 
was  left  intact.  Among  the  captures  here  were  twenty-five 
cannon,  chiefly  twenty-pounder  rifled  guns,  from  which  a 
salute  was  fired  in  honor  of  the  second  inauguration  of 
Lincoln. 

Fayetteville  was  captured  after  a  sharp  skirmish,  March 
1 2th.  Here  was  a  supply  depot  of  great  importance  to  the 
enemy.  The  old  United  States  arsenal  had  been  enlarged 
and  used  to  its  utmost  capacity  in  the  manufacture  of  ord 
nance  stores,  but  everything  was  abandoned  uninjured.  The 
fleet-footed  defenders,  escaping  across  Cape  Fear  River, 
burned  the  bridge  behind  them.  The  pontoons  were  soon 
brought  to  the  front,  and  the  army  was  not  long  detained. 
The  regiment  went  out  with  a  forage  train  on  the  thirteenth, 
returning  at  nine  o'clock  at  night,  after  a  march  of  thirty 
miles.  Boats  came  up  the  river  from  Wilmington,  opening 
communications,  but  brought  few  supplies,  and  the  army  was 
much  in  need  of  provisions  and  clothing,  particularly  of  shoes. 
A  large  number  of  refugees,  who  had  sadly  encumbered  the 
army  since  our  leaving  Columbia,  were  sent  down  the  river 
on  the  returning  boats.  These  unfortunates,  mostly  colored, 
had  by  thousands  followed  the  army  with  a  confidence  that 
was  child-like.  They  were  ready  to  do  anything  or  go  any 
where,  as  Sherman  directed. 

At  Fayetteville,  as  at  other  places  where  the  troops  had 


AT    FAYETTEVILLE.  413 

been  delayed  a  sufficient  time,  the  train  teams  were  inspected 
and  all  worthless  mules  and  horses  were  replaced  by  better 
ones  captured  from  the  inhabitants.  The  rejected  animals 
were  corralled  on  the  banks  of  a  river,  and  a  detail  of  soldiers 
surrounded  and  shot  them,  many  falling  into  the  stream. 
Thousands  were  disposed  of  in  this  way  to  prevent  them 
from  becoming  useful  to  the  Confederacy.  Thus  the  war 
was  prosecuted  in  every  way  to  cripple  the  enemy.  It  was  a 
campaign  of  obliteration. 

Every  division  train  was  also  inspected  by  a  regiment,  and 
all  goods  found  therein  of  a  nature  by  order  forbidden  to  be 
carried  in  the  wagons  were  taken  out.  Sometimes  books, 
furniture,  tobacco,  and  all  kinds  of  household  goods  would 
be  found.  The  tobacco  and  all  eatables  would  be  issued  to 
the  troops,  and  the  other  articles  were  destroyed.  This  work 
created  a  good  deal  of  merriment  for  the  inspectors,  but 
chagrin  and  wrath  in  the  train  men,  who  often  lost  trophies 
of  war  which  they  highly  prized. 

The  rain  poured  down  in  torrents  during  March  I5th  and 
i6th,  flooding  the  country,  here  a  continuous  swamp.  A  part 
of  the  Twentieth  and  Fourteenth  Corps  had  a  severe  fight 
on  the  sixteenth  at  Averysborough,  about  thirty  miles  south 
of  Raleigh,  and  finally  drove  from  intrenchments  a  force  of 
ten  thousand  Confederates.  The  bad  roads  and  the  presence 
of  the  enemy  in  force  on  front  and  flank  made  foraging  very 
unproductive.  The  activity  of  the  rebels  indicated  that  Gen 
eral  Joseph  Johnston,  who  was  now  in  command,  would 
stand  for  a  test  battle  at  the  next  favorable  position.  The 
advance  of  the  Fourteenth  Corps  was  attacked  March  igth 
by  a  superior  force  of  the  enemy.  A  heavy  engagement  was 
soon  in  progress,  and  lasted  all  day,  resulting  finally  in  the 
enemy's  repulse  with  severe  loss.  The  right  wing  of  the 
army  was  marching  on  a  parallel  road  six  miles  away.  Our 
division  remained  in  camp  until  ten  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
to  allow  the  other  divisions  of  the  corps  to  pass.  We  had 
made  eight  miles  by  midnight,  when  we  were  countermarched 
and  hastened  to  the  assistance  of  the  left  wing,  making  eight 
een  miles  by  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  at  which  hour  we 
joined  the  right  of  the  Fourteenth  Corps. 

Our  regimental  foragers  encountered  a  large  force  of  cav- 


414  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

airy  and  lost  two  men  captured.  Lewis  Winget  of  Company 
F  was  also  taken  prisoner  while  venturing  too  far  from  the 
column  of  march.  We  moved  forward  at  noon  two  miles 
through  a  continuous  swamp,  the  Sixth  Missouri  and  Thirti 
eth  Ohio  in  advance,  deployed  as  skirmishers.  They  drove 
the  rebels  into  their  works,  sustaining  some  loss.  The  Fifty- 
fifth  relieved  the  Sixth  Missouri  at  dusk,  and  immediately 
began  a  lively  skirmish.  Firing  was  kept  up  more  or  less 
vigorously  all  night,  the  lines  being  in  close  proximity,  the 
Confederates  posted  behind  intrenchments. 

Joseph  Moorehead  of  Company  G  was  here  killed.  He, 
with  Lingenfelter  of  Company  A,  were  together  upon  picket, 
and  saw  a  flash  of  light  as  if  from  a  lantern.  Moorehead 
said  that  if  it  appeared  again  he  should  fire  at  it.  He  was 
advised  not  to  do  so,  but,  as  good  as  his  word,  he  shot  at  it 
the  next  time  he  saw  it.  Simultaneously  with  the  flash  of 
his  musket  came  the  report  of  a  rebel  rifle,  and  he  fell  dead 
at  his  comrade's  feet.  Moorehead  was  one  of  the  youngest 
men  in  the  regiment,  being  but  twenty  years  of  age  when 
slain.  He  had  served  his  country  faithfully  for  nearly  four 
years,  and  at  this  our  last  battle  he  heroically  lay  down  his 
life.  Captain  Giles  F.  Hand,  who  had  charge  of  the  picket 
line,  was  slightly  wounded  in  the  head.  It  was  a  severe  ex 
perience  for  the  men;  they  had  marched  all  the  night  previ 
ous,  their  rations  were  exhausted,  and  the  foragers  were 
unable  to  supply  them  because  of  the  presence  of  the  enemy 
in  great  force  throughout  the  country  around. 

The  sergeant-major,  with  a  detail  of  men  and  the  pack 
animals,  was  sent  back  through  the  swamp  to  find  division 
headquarters,  report  the  situation,  and  procure  ammunition 
and  axes.  It  was  nearly  dawn  before  the  detail  returned  to 
the  regiment,  having  marched  several  miles  to  accomplish  its 
errand.  The  regiment  was  relieved  in  the  morning,  when  the 
men  endeavored  to  take  a  little  rest.  During  March  2ist  the 
right  wing  got  into  position,  and  the  Seventeenth  Corps 
became  hotly  engaged.  The  same  day  there  was  skirmish 
ing  or  hard  fighting  from  extreme  right  to  left.  Both  wings 
by  forward  movements  upon  the  flanks,  gradually  began  to 
envelope  the  enemy's  position. 

In  our  front  there  was  only  sharp  skirmishing  by  a  strong 


BATTLE    OF    BENTONVILLE.  415 

picket  line.  When  volunteers  were  called  for  to  re-enforce 
the  pickets,  twenty  of  the  Fifty-fifth  instantly  stepped  for 
ward,  and  were  soon  hotly  engaged.  Aaron  Lingenfelter, 
one  of  the  number,  was  severely  wounded  in  the  right  shoul 
der.  He  was  the  last  of  the  regiment  hit  by  Confederate 
bullet  in  battle.  He  still  lives,  a  great  sufferer  from  the 
grave  injury  then  received. 

Lieutenant  Ridenour  had  charge  of  the  brigade  pickets 
during  that  night,  and  in  posting  them  encountered  the  rebels; 
but  the  dense  darkness  admonished  all  to  keep  quiet  until 
the  lines  were  established,  when  courtesies  ended  in  a  brisk 
fire  from  both  sides,  which  was  kept  up  in  order  to  prevent 
the  men  from  going  to  sleep,  for  they  had  been  marching  or 
on  continuous  duty  for  three  days  and  nights. 

The  enemy  had  tried  their  strength  sufficiently  in  the  effort 
to  put  a  period  to  Sherman's  progress,  and  were  glad  to  take 
advantage  of  night  and  steal  away.  When  the  morning  of 
the  twenty-third  opened,  Johnston  was  retreating  towards 
Raleigh.  The  army  took  up  the  march  on  the  twenty-third, 
and  on  the  twenty-fourth  it  encamped  in  the  vicinity  of 
Goldsborough,  on  the  New  Berne  road,  to  rest  awhile  and 
enjoy  the  fruits  of  the  most  memorable  campaign  of  its  kind 
in  modern  warfare.  In  the  fifty  days  since  leaving  Beaufort 
the  regiment  had  marched  five  hundred  and  sixteen  miles, 
and  eight  hundred  and  fifty  miles  since  starting  from  Atlanta. 
There  had  not  during  this  period  been  a  single  death  among 
its  number  from  disease  —  a  remarkable  fact  considering  the 
hard  service.  At  this  camp  several  of  those  left  behind  in 
hospital  when  the  march  to  the  sea  began,  rejoined  the 
command. 

Not  only  had  the  campaign  ended  gloriously,  but  the  bat 
tle  losses  had  been  extremely  light.  A  wide  expanse  of 
country  had  been  scorched  by  the  blight  that  always  attends 
the  tread  of  an  invading  army.  It  should  be  noted  here  that 
the  devastation  so  conspicuous  while  in  South  Carolina  for 
the  most  part  ceased  after  the  boundary  of  North  Carolina 
was  passed.  General  Sherman  in  his  report  says:  "We  have 
traversed  the  country  from  Savannah  to  Goldsborough  with 
an  average  breadth  of  forty  miles,  consuming  all  the  forage, 
cattle,  hogs,  sheep,  poultry,  cured  meats,  corn  meal,  etc. 


416  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

The  public  enemy,  instead  of  drawing  supplies  from  that 
region  to  feed  his  armies,  will  be  compelled  to  send  provis 
ions  from  other  quarters  to  feed  the  inhabitants."  The  very 
vitals  of  the  Confederacy  had  been  pierced  through  and 
through,  and  its  days  were  already  numbered.  Its  army 
could  not  be  held  together  longer,  and  it  only  required  one 
more  blow  to  break  it  in  pieces.  That  blow  was  soon  given. 

March  27th  a  detail  from  the  Fifty-fifth  went  out  as  guard 
to  a  forage  train.  The  party  was  attacked  by  a  superior 
force  of  rebels.  L.  B.  Mohler  of  K,  attempting  to  escape, 
was  fired  upon  and  fell  from  his  horse.  Sergeant  William 
Constantine  of  I,  and  Corporal  J.  A.  Cameron  of  D,  were 
captured  not  far  away,  and  saw  afterwards  a  group  of  Con 
federates,  one  of  whom  had  on  Mohler's  boots,  another  his 
coat,  a  third  his  hat,  and  a  fourth  his  pantaloons.  They  then 
believed  that  Mohler  was  killed,  and  as  he  has  never  been 
heard  from  since,  it  is  probable  that  he  was  slain — the  last  of 
the  regiment  to  fall  by  a  rebel  bullet.  These  were  the  final 
war  casualties  in  the  Fifty-fifth,  ending  a  long  list  which  few 
regiments  in  the  Union  army  can  equal.  Constantine  and 
Cameron  were  soon  exchanged,  and  reported  to  the  regiment. 

The  entire  loss  in  the  Fifty-fifth  during  the  campaigns 
from  Atlanta  to  Goldsborough  was  two  killed,  two  wounded, 
and  five  captured.  The  aggregate  effective  strength  of  the 
regiment  on  April  1st,  1865,  was  one  hundred  and  forty-three. 
Total  aggregate  present  and  absent,  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
eight.  This  was  a  small  remnant  of  the  full  battalion  that 
left  Chicago  in  1861.  A  large  proportion  of  the  missing 
filled  soldiers'  graves  in  ten  different  states.  The  flag  of  the 
Fifty-fifth  was  always  found  at  the  front,  and  no  demands, 
however  severe  the  work  might  be,  were  made  upon  the  regi 
ment  to  which  it  did  not  respond  cheerfully.  Its  brigade 
and  division  were  frequently  chosen  for  arduous  duties  which 
were  always  performed  —  such  duties  as  only  the  bravest  of 
the  brave  are  competent  to  achieve.  The  regiment  had 
grown  weak  in  numbers,  but  was  yet  strong  in  character. 
Little  discipline  was  exacted  by  the  officers  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  war,  for  every  man  could  be  relied  upon  to  know  and 
to  do  his  duty  at  all  times.  Long  association  had  made  us 
one  family. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

ADVENTURES    OF   THE*  FORAGERS. 

rT^O  keep  a  large  army  in  an  enemy's  country  well  fed  by 
1  supplies  gathered  day  by  day  along  the  region  through 
which  it  was  marching,  required  a  thoroughly  organized  and 
efficient  force.  Upon  the  foraging  parties  devolved  a  very 
important  part  of  the  campaigns  through  Georgia  and  the 
Carolinas,  and  a  special  chapter  is  therefore  devoted  to  their 
work  and  adventures.  Could  one-half  the  exploits  of  even 
the  Fifty-fifth's  foragers  be  told  in  graphic  language,  the  ac 
count  would  fill  volumes  with  interesting  reading. 

A  detail  was  made  from  every  regiment,  consisting  of  one 
enlisted  man  from  each  company,  under  command  of  a 
commissioned  officer.  Only  the  most  daring  were  selected 
for  this  hazardous  duty.  The  life  of  the  army  was  in  some 
measure  in  the  hands  of  these  men,  and  they  guarded  well 
their  trust.  Scarcely  a  day  passed  but  they  were  required  to 
engage  in  more  or  less  skirmishing,  and  often  hard  fighting 
was  necessary  to  drive  away  the  Confederate  cavalry  that 
hung  about  the  front  and  flanks  of  the  army.  Whenever  an 
opposing  force  was  met  too  strong  for  the  advance  party, 
they  had  not  long  to  wait  before  re-enforcement  of  others 
came,  and  soon  the  rebels  had  to  leave,  and  on  the  double- 
quick.  An  officer  was  placed  in.charge  over  the  details  from 
each  brigade,  but  his  office  was  generally  a  sinecure,  for  the 
companies  could  not  be  kept  together,  each  striving  to  get 
farthest  from  the  column  in  its  chosen  direction.  He  there- 
27 


418  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

fore  had  to  content  himself  with  accompanying  one  of  the 
parties,  and  his  foraging  generalship  was  of  little  benefit. 
The  Fifty-fifth  detail  consisted  of  the  following  comrades: 

Captain  ROBERT  OLIVER,      Co.  C.  JACOB  W.  KEFFER,  Co.  F. 

Sergeant  JOSEPH  H,  MILLS,    "   A.  JASON  R.  EMERY,  "    G. 

CHARLES  S.  VANDERVERT,     "    B.  COLUMBUS  C.  BIGBEE,  "    H. 

EARL  P.  GOODWIN,                  "    C.  PETER  EBERSOLD,  "     I. 

CHARLTON  G.  EDWARDS,         "  D.  L.  B.  MOHLER,  "    K. 
CHRISTIAN  LEIBUNDGUTH,      "   E. 

This  force  was  changed  a  little  at  times,  but  remained 
practically  as  given  to  the  close  of  the  war.  All  proved  to 
be  experts  in  the  profession.  What  they  could  not  find  and 
bring  to  camp  was  beyono!  human  sagacity  and  mule  endur 
ance.  When  the  Fifty-fifth  was  short  of  rations  it  was  cer 
tain  there  was  but  little  to  be  found  in  the  locality,  and  the 
army  in  general  went  hungry. 

Captain  Oliver  carried  written  authority,  endorsed  by  Gen 
eral  Sherman,  by  which  he  and  his  men  could  be  identified 
as  duly  authorized  foragers.  Such  endorsement  was  expected 
to  afford  some  protection  in  case  of  capture,  for  the  Confed 
erates,  and  even  guerillas,  would  show  some  respect  for  Sher 
man's  signature.  His  orders  were  to  keep  the  regiment  in 
supplies,  but  to  leave  no  family  destitute  of  the  necessaries 
of  life;  a  strict  construction  of  which  meant  that  the  army 
must  live  if  the  whole  South  starved.  The  instructions  were 
to  break  all  fire-arms,  capture  all  horses  and  mules,  destroy 
all  wagons,  carts  and  implements  that  might  be  used  in 
raising  crops,  and  in  fact  leave  the  country  as  destitute  as 
possible  of  material  that  could  be  used  in  prolonging  the  war. 

In  obedience  to  these  orders  the  men  felt  compelled  at 
times  to  do  things  at  which  their  better  natures  revolted,  but 
the  exigencies  of  war  had  to  be  respected,  regardless  of  con 
sequences.  When  the  only  family  horse  was  hitched  to  the 
carriage,  loaded  with  all  the  cured  meat  and  sweet  potatoes 
on  the  premises,  and  the  women  broke  forth  in  sorrowful 
lamentations,  the  men  were  £>ften  persuaded  to  yield  some 
thing  to  their  tears  and  pleadings.  A  few  incidents  only  will 
here  be  given  in  the  attempt  to  picture  the  daily  experience 
of  the  Fifty-fifth  foragers. 


MISTAKEN    HOSPITALITY.  4*9 

One  day  while  they  were  busily  engaged  in  securing  some 
sweet  potatoes,  a  company  of  rebel  cavalry  charged  upon 
them.  They  mounted,  and  in  the  retreat  one  of  the  mules 
balked.  The  rebels,  passing  him,  pressed  after  the  rest,  who 
led  them  directly  to  the  regiment,  which  happened  to  be 
near  by.  The  race  then  took  a  reverse  direction,  and  it  was 
so  rapid  that  the  Confederates  did  not  stop  to  deal  with  the 
man  on  the  balky  mule,  who  continued  bravely  "holding  his 
position." 

On  another  occasion,  as  they  rode  up  to  a  fine  house,  the 
lady  of  the  mansion  met  them  with  smiles  and  courteous 
greeting  at  the  entrance.  On  demanding  the  keys  of  the 
smoke-house  and  other  buildings  in  which  the  provisions 
were  locked  from  the  slaves,  she  readily  gave  them  up.  Af 
ter  a  good  supply  had  been  taken  out,  she  invited  the  soldiers 
upon  the  porch,  and  her  two  daughters  passed  around  plates 
of  cake,  which  each  of  the  boys,  accepted  with  a  more  or  less 
graceful  bow  and  hearty  thanks.  Captain  Oliver  asked  if 
any  of  the  rebel  cavalry  had  been  around  lately.  The  women 
seemed  amazed  at  the  question,  and  asked:  "Ar'nt  you 
Hampton's  men?"  He  replied,  "O,  no;  we  belong  to  Sher 
man's  army."  With  terror-stricken  countenances  they  retired 
into  the  house,  exclaiming  in  unison,  with  bated  breath,  "Are 
you  Yankees?"  Being  answered  in  the  affirmative,  one  of 
the  girls  asked,  "Which  is  Sherman?"  The  stalwart  captain 
was  pointed  out  to  them,  at  whom  they  gazed  in  evident  awe. 
As  many  of  the  men  wore  southern  suits,  the  mistaken  iden 
tity  was  not  unreasonable.  Some  horses  had  been  found  in 
the  woods  which  were  soon  harnessed  to  a  wagon  heavily 
loaded  with  a  variety  of  supplies.  By  this  time  a  hundred 
other  foragers  had  come  up,  but  ours  did  not  remain  to  see  if 
the  cakes  held  out.  They  afterwards  frequently  addressed 
their  commander  as  General  Sherman,  and  more  than  once 
thereafter  he  was  introduced  to  astonished  natives  by  that 
title. 

At  a  place  called  Long  Town,  between  Columbia  and 
Camden,  the  advance  foragers  had  been  surrounded  and  sev 
eral  captured.  Those  who  escaped,  in  falling  back  met  our 
foragers,  and  reported  that  their  lieutenant  and  a  number  of 


420  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

men  were  prisoners  and  under  guard  at  a  plantation.  Others 
soon  came  up,  when  all  deployed  and  soon  surrounded  the 
house,  turning  the  tables  on  the  rebels  by  taking  them  pris 
oners.  The  lieutenant  who  had  been  for  a  brief  time  in 
bondage,  quickly,  in  a  tone  that  said  "delays  are  dangerous," 
ordered  a  rebel  to  take  off  the  blue  uniform  in  which  he  had 
been  parading  while  guarding  the  owner,  and  was  soon  clad 
in  his  own  garments  again. 

At  this  plantation  our  party  loaded  a  six-mule  team  with 
hams  and  flour,  and  went  back  to  the  other  end  of  the^town, 
where  the  army  had  begun  to  come  into  camp.  The  vicinage 
was  a  succession  of  rich  plantations  for  three  miles  along  the 
highway,  and  the  party  spent  that  night  at  a  wealthy  planters, 
where  several  young  ladies  entertained  them  by  singing  Con 
federate  songs. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Camden  provisions  were  far  from  abun 
dant,  and  our  foragers  travelled  a  long  distance  from  the 
column  to  secure  supplies.  A  heavy  fog  coming  on,  they 
were  lost  for  three  days.  The  first  day  they  captured  eleven 
horses  and  mules,  and  a  colored  man  was  put  upon  each  ani 
mal.  The  second  day  they  reached  Camden  just  at  night, 
when  by  chance  they  were  informed  of  a  quantity  of  liquors 
buried  in  a  field  three  miles  beyond.  Captain  Oliver  resolved 
to  obtain  something  with  which  to  load  his  colored  troopers, 
and  the  party  went  on  until  the  field  was  found,  and  began 
digging.  They  were  soon  rewarded  by  finding  the  liquors, 
which  were  mostly  in  glass  bottles.  Every  negro  had  on  two 
or  three  pairs  of  pantaloons,  having  thus  prepared  himself 
with  surplus  clothing  for  the  journey  to  freedom  when  Sher 
man  should  come  along.  The  captain  ordered  them  to  take 
off  all  but  one  pair;  strings  were  tied  around  the  bottoms  of 
the  legs,  the  bottles  were  placed  in  them,  and  the  trousers 
thus  loaded  were  straddled  over  the  backs  of  the  animals  in 
front  and  in  rear  of  the  riders.  In  this  manner  each  negro 
carried  several  bottles,  and  the  cavalcade  presented  a  very 
ludicrous  appearance.  One  of  the  horsemen,  who  had  got 
too  much  of  the  captured  stimulant  inside  the  clothes  he 
still  wore,  being  mounted  upon  a  fractious  mule,  began  to  fly 
about  in  an  erratic  way.  One  of  the  bottles  hit  a  tree  and 


RUNNING    A    GRIST-MILL.  421 

the  crash  of  the  glass  frightened  the  animal.  For  a  little 
time  he  kept  his  place  near  the  others,  but  soon  smash  went 
another  bottle  as  it  struck  a  pine  beside  the  road,  and  the 
mule  became  so  ungovernable  that  it  ran  away  with  rider  and 
bottles,  and  was  never  seen  afterwards.  The  company 
reached  the  regiment  on  the  night  of  the  third  day  at  Lynch 
Creek,  which  we  were  then  engaged  in  bridging.  When  the 
men  came  from  their  work  in  the  water,  each  was  given  a 
half  gill  of  the  contents  of  the  bottles,  which  was  a  timely 
treat. 

As  the  army  approached  the  coast  food  grew  more  and 
more  scarce,  and  only  the  most  reckless  and  persevering  for 
agers  could  secure  a  sufficient  quantity.  One  day  about 
March  roth,  our  men  had  been  unable  to  obtain  anything. 
At  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  they  heard  of  a  grist-mill 
thirty  miles  ahead,  and  it  was  immediately  determined  to 
push  on  and  reach  it.  The  country  was  infested  with  rebel 
cavalry,  yet  this  brave  band,  every  member  a  hero,  made  the 
thirty  mile  ride  before  sunset.  They  only  thought  of  their 
comrades  who  depended  upon  them  for  rations.  The  pro 
prietor  of  the  mill,  a  planter,  was  greatly  surprised  at  their 
coming,  and  acknowledged  that  he  had  not  expected  to  see 
any  of  Sherman's  army  for  two  or  three  days.  He  was  told 
that  the  whole  force  was  close  at  hand.  Being  asked  if  he 
had  a  miller,  he  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  sent  for  him. 
"I  see,"  said  Oliver,  "you  have  abundance  of  grain,  and  to 
that  I  can  help  myself.  How  long  is  it  since  any  Confeder 
ate  troops  were  here?"  "A  squad  just  rode  away,"  replied 
the  planter.  "Well,"  said  the  captain,  "I  must  then  send 
across  the  creek  for  a  regiment  to  be  brought  to  protect  us 
while  we  are  at  work  in  the  mill."  This  of  course  was  ex 
pected  to  impress  the  fact  upon  the  mill-owner  that  it  would 
be  good  policy  for  him  to  prevent,  if  possible,  any  attack  by 
the  rebels.  A  citizen  was  rarely  found  who  would  not  do  all 
in  his  power  to  avoid  a  fight  around  his  own  house.  Oliver 
added:  "It  all  depends  upon  yourself,  if  you  would  save 
your  property.  If  any  of  us  are  injured  upon  your  planta 
tion,  Sherman  will  burn  your  buildings  to  the  ground  when 
he  arrives." 


422  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS    INFANTRY. 

A  lot  of  grain  was  taken  to  the  mill,  and  the  miller  set  at 
work  grinding  it,  while  the  men  fortified  the  place,  making 
defences  so  strong  that  many  would  have  bitten  the  dust  if 
an  attack  had  been  made.  About  eight  o'clock  in  the  even 
ing  the  old  planter  came  down  to  the  mill,  surprised  to  see  it 
looking  more  like  a  fort  than  anything  else.  He  wanted  the 
captain  to  go  up  to  the  house  for  supper  and  stay  all  night 
with  him.  Oliver  excused  himself,  stating  that  he  should 
have  various  duties  to  occupy  him  as  soon  as  the  army  came 
up,  speaking  as  though  the  column  was  three  —  not  thirty- 
miles  back.  The  excuse  was  accepted  and  the  planter  went 
back  to  the  house,  while  the  men  worked  all  night  assisting 
the  miller  and  strengthening  their  fortifications,  fully  expect 
ing  an  attack. 

The  next  morning  the  planter  came  down  and  invited  the 
captain  to  eat  breakfast  with  him,  which  he  did.  The  fam 
ily  consisted  of  the  father,  two  daughters  of  eighteen  and 
twenty,  and  one  son  about  fifteeen  years  old.  Another  son 
and  the  lover  of  one  of  the  girls  were  in  Lee's  army. 

The  captain  asked  them  if  they  had  anything  buried  about 
the  premises.  They  replied,  "Not  anything."  Oliver  then 
said,  "Do  not  deceive  yourselves;  we  don't  want  anything 
that  belongs  in  the  house,  and  if  you  have  property  buried 
dig  it  up,  put  it  in  the  house,  and  I  will  place  a  guard  over  it 
and  everything  will  be  safe."  At  noon  the  son  was  sent  to 
the  mill  to  invite  the  whole  party  to  a  dinner  which  the  young 
ladies  had  prepared  especially  for  them.  They  accepted  the 
invitation,  a  part  going  at  a  time,  as  they  did  not  propose  to 
be  led  into  a  trap.  That  bountiful  dinner,  served  by  female 
hands,  made  them  think  of  home.  The  girls  sat  at  table 
with  them,  and  were  as  jolly  as  if  entertaining  their  best 
friends.  At  night  the  captain  was  again  invited  to  sleep  in 
the  house,  but  excused  himself  by  saying,  "My  place  is  with 
my  men." 

They  had  been  at  the  mill  twenty-four  hours,  and,  strange 
to  say,  not  another  Union  soldier  had  put  in  an  appearance, 
and  happily  none  of  the  enemy.  Close  watch  was  kept  at 
night,  and  in  the  morning  breakfast  was  prepared  by  the  fam 
ily  and  partaken  of  by  the  men,  taking  turns  as  before.  Peter 


NOTHING    BURIED.  423 

Ebersold  was  placed  on  guard  at  the  house,  preparatory  to 
the  coming  of  the  bummers,  who  were  expected  to  arrive 
soon,  and  Captain  Oliver  repeated  his  admonition  of  the 
morning  before,  saying,  "If  you  have  anything  buried  it  will 
surely  be  found  today,  as  the  treasure-seekers  will  be  along 
soon."  "O,  no,  we've  nothing  buried,"  they  persisted  in  say 
ing.  About  ten  o'clock  some  bummers  arrived,  and  began 
thrusting  their  bayonets  into  the  ground  about  the  garden. 
An  iron  kettle  was  soon  found,  containing  forty  dollars  in 
silver,  a  watch  and  a  quantity  of  Confederate  money.  The 
old  planter  came  down  to  the  mill  with  a  down-cast  face,  and 
said  to  the  captain,  "They  have  found  it."  "Found  what?" 
he  asked;  and  was  told  about  the  concealed  money.  The 
captain  laughed,  and  again  warned  him:  "They  will  find 
everything  that  you  have  hidden.  If  you  have  anything 
more  concealed,  get  it  into  the  house  and  my  guard  will  pro 
tect  it;"  but  the  answer  was,  "There  is  nothing  more." 

At  noon  all  ate  dinner  at  the  house  again;  the  boys  began 
to  feel  very  much  at  home,  and  they  had  some  fun  in  twitting 
the  girls  upon  their  ill  success  in  hiding  things  from  the 
Yankees.  About  two  o'clock  the  planter  appeared  again  at 
the  mill,  and  reported:  "They  have  found  it."  This  time  a 
lot  of  trinkets  belonging  to  the  girls  had  been  unearthed. 
He  came  three  or  four  times  during  the  afternoon  and  said, 
•'They  have  found  it,"  until  there  was  apparently  nothing 
more  to  be  found.  The  girls  dolefully  told  of  their  lost 
treasures,  and  said:  "After  this  we  will  believe  a  Yankee,  for 
you  have  always  told  us  the  truth,  and  did  not  permit  a  sol 
dier  to  set  his  foot  inside  the  door  of  the  house."  That 
night  the  troops  were  camped  all  around  them. 

The  mill  was  kept  running  night  and  day,  and  turned  out 
a  large  quantity  of  flour  and  meal  for  the  army.  Just  before 
our  party  were  prepared  to  leave  the  next  day,  a  mounted 
man  came  along  and  asked  Oliver  what  facilities  he  had  for 
transporting  provisions,  etc.  The  captain  replied  that  he  had 
impressed  all  the  planter's  horses,  mules  and  wagons  to  carry 
the  supplies  to  camp.  The  cavalry-man  then  told  him  that 
he  had  found  two  kegs  of  peach  brandy  out  in  the  swamp, 
and  had  knocked  in  the  head  of  one  and  filled  his  canteen. 


424  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

He  suggested  that  the  captain  might  secure  the  other  un 
broken.  This  Oliver  at  once  did,  and  sending  for  the  planter 
asked  him  if  he  had  any  liquors  on  the  place.  He  stoutly 
affirmed  that  he  had  not  a  drop.  "Very  well,  then,"  rejoined 
the  captain,  "these  kegs  of  brandy  must  belong  to  some  one 
else.  A  bummer  has  just  found  two  hidden  in  the  woods, 
and  I  will  take  one  to  my  command."  The  old  man  was 
dumbfounded,  and  ejaculated,  with  an  oath,  "That  is  the  last." 

Before  leaving  the  whole  party  went  to  the  house  to  say 
good-bye  to  the  girls,  who  had  treated  them  so  well.  Not 
withstanding  they  were  taking  all  the  horses  and  wagons, 
leaving  the  place  destitute  of  anything  to  raise  a  crop  with, 
the  family  plead  with  the  men  to  stay  another  night,  as  they 
considered  themselves  safe  so  long  as  they  remained.  The 
old  planter  took  the  captain  by  the  hand  and  said:  "  If  you 
will  only  stay  there  is  nothing  I  have  but  what  I  will  freely 
give  you." 

In  trying  to  reach  the  regiment  the  wagons  got  stuck  in 
the  mud,  when  the  captain  went  ahead  and  sent  the  regi 
mental  wagon  to  the  rescue,  in  the  middle  of  the  night.  The 
party  and  provisions  arrived  in  camp  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  receiving  hearty  welcome  for  they  had  been  given 
up  as  lost. 

On  one  occasion  an  old  mare  had  been  hitched  to  a  cart 
loaded  with  sweet  potatoes,  when  the  aged  lady  who  owned 
them  begged  the  men  to  leave  the  mare  and  cart,  'as  she  had 
nothing  else  to  go  to  mill  with.'  Her  daughter  spitefully 
exclaimed:  "  Mother,  it  is  no  use  your  saying  any  thing  more, 
they  will  take  them  any  how."  This  taunt  had  the  desired 
effect,  for  the  captain  ordered  the  animal  left.  Then  the 
girl  said:  "Mother,  your  prayers  did  move  them."  In  fact 
it  was  the  girl's  challenge  of  their  generosity  that  won  the 
concession. 

The  account  of  an  adventure  on  March  iQth,  near  Benton- 
ville,  N.  C.,  shall  be  given  in  Captain  Oliver's  own  language: 

The  division  was  marching  on  the  road  from  Lee's  Store,  and  I  took 
the  road  to  the  left.  We  travelled  until  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon 
before  meeting  any  opposition.  A  picket  was  then  seen  standing  at  a 
cross  road  which  led  to  the  main  highway  upon  which  the  division  was 
marching.  We  rode  up  until  he  halted  us,  and  found  ourselves  near  a 


A    NARROW    ESCAPE.  425 

rebel  general's  headquarters.  We  galloped  away  upon  the  road  to  the 
left  and  received  a  parting  volley  by  which,  fortunately,  no  one  was  hit. 
Having  gone  about  two  miles  we  came  to  a  fine  plantation  well  stocked. 
Here  we  loaded  two  carts  with  provisions  and  I  directed  Ebersold  and 
Edwards  to  hitch  the  horses  to  them  when  they  had  finished  eating,  and 
follow  the  road  in  the  direction  of  the  troops;  I  took  the  other  eight  men 
and  proceeded  about  two  miles  further  to  the  front,  reaching  another 
plantation  where  we  saw  a  dozen  or  more  rebel  cavalry,  but  they  fled 
leaving  us  in  possession.  We  here  got  three  or  four  sacks  of  flour  and 
started  back. 

When  about  half  way  to  where  Ebersold  and  Edwards  had  been  left 
we  saw  a  soldier  standing  in  the  centre  of  the  road.  I  did  not  like  his 
looks,  but  we  rode  on  until  we  got  quite  close,  when  his  comrades  began 
to  come  out  of  the  woods  and  soon  filled  the  road.  They  were  dressed  in 
blue  uniforms,  and  we  rode  up  to  within  ten  rods  of  them  when  they 
commanded  us  to  surrender.  We  could  not  think  of  complying  without 
an  attempt  to  preserve  our  freedom.  I  told  the  boys  to  throw  away  the 
provisions  with  which  they  were  loaded,  and  we  made  for  the  swamp.  I 
wanted  to  get  around  the  enemy  and  reach  the  other  two  men,  thinking 
they  might  not  have  moved  yet.  We  took  a  circuitous  route  through  the 
swamp  and  the  rebels  had  the  road,  but  we  reached  the  men  first.  I  put 
out  two  guards  to  keep  a  look-out  while  we  made  haste  to  hitch  up  and 
get  away. 

Just  as  all  was  ready  a  whole  brigade  of  Hampton's  cavalry  rode 
right  over  us,  and  we  were  completely  mixed  up  with  them.  I  cannot 
fully  explain  how  any  of  us  got  out  of  the  place.  The  bravery  exhibited 
by  every  one  of  that  handful  of  men  will  never  be  forgotten  by  me.  A 
rebel  captain  rode  up  within  six  feet  of  me  and  pulled  his  revolver  to 

shoot,  when  Henry  Joslin  ran  up  and  caught  his  leg  and  said:  "D n 

you,  what  are  you  about !  don't  you  know  you  are  shooting  your  own 
men?"  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  act  saved  my  life  for  the  bullet  just 
missed  me.  I  shouted  to  the  boys  to  take  care  of  themselves.  All  hap 
pened  to  be  dismounted  except  myself,  and  therefore  I  was  powerless  to 
assist  them  in  any  way.  I  did  not  for  a  moment  expect  to  escape,  but  I 
resolved  to  make  the  attempt  at  all  hazards,  for  it  would  probably  be 
death  if  taken.  We  understood  that  Hampton  had  given  orders  that 
foragers  should  receive  no  quarter.  They  had  me  so  cornered  that  all 
there  was  for  me  to  do  was  to  try  the  mettle  of  my  horse.  I  put  the 
spurs  to  him  with  all  my  force,  and  started  towards  a  high  fence  which 
it  seemed  like  an  impossibility  for  him  to  surmount,  but  the  leap  was 
successfully  made  by  the  frightened  animal.  Up  to  this  time  many  shots 
had  been  fired  at  me,  and  how  they  all  missed  will  always  be  a  mystery. 

I  then  struck  out  after  the  boys  who  had  made  their  escape,  not  know 
ing  how  many  had  succeeded.  I  caught  up  with  them  and  found  all  safe 
but  Ebersold  and  Edwards.  Just  then  I  heard  cheering,  and  told  the 
boys  to  make  for  the  swamp,  while  I  would  ride  back,  thinking  our  ad. 
vance  might  have  come  up.  I  felt  distressed  that  any  of  the  boys  were 


426  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

captured,  feeling  that  certain  death  would  be  their  fate.  I  rode  back 
until  I  came  within  about  fifteen  rods  of  some  troops,  and  was  sure  that 
they  were  some  of  our  own  army,  when  one  of  them  shouted,  "  There 
comes  one  of  those  d — d  Yankees  !"  I  turned  to  escape  and  they  opened 
fire,  wounding  my  horse  so  that  he  was  unmanageable.  He  ran  into  a 
pine  thicket  and  between  two  leaning  trees,  striking  my  left  shoulder 
against  one,  and  throwing  me  with  such  force  against  the  other  as  to 
knock  me  to  the  ground  senseless.  My  right  shoulder  and  head  were 
terribly  bruised.  I  came  to  my  senses  soon  after  my  fall  and  saw  my 
horse  about  twenty  rods  from  me  running  around  in  a  circle;  I  then 
made  my  way  as  best  I  could  for  the  swamp  to  which  I  had  told  the  boys 
to  go.  They  had  seen  my  horse  without  a  rider,  and  had  started  to  look 
for  me.  We  succeeded  in  escaping  all  pursuers  and  found  the  regiment 
in  the  evening  just  before  it  counter-marched  to  support  the  left  wing 
which  had  been  fighting  all  day. 

It  was  long  afterwards  learned  that  Ebersold's  horse  was 
killed  and  fell  upon  him.  The  rebels  pulled  him  out  from 
under  the  dead  animal,  and  beat  him  severely  about  the  head 
with  their  carbines,  but  he  was  finally  rescued  by  Fred  Klein, 
a  captain  in  the  Tenth  South  Carolina  Cavalry,  who  recog 
nized  him  as  a  former  schoolmate  in  the  Fatherland.  Ed 
wards  was  also  captured,  and  both  were  subsequently  paroled 
and  discharged  without  joining  the  regiment. 

Every  member  of  the  party  had  encounters  scarcely  less 
desperate  in  making  his  escape.  Each  looked  out  for  his 
own  safety  until  all  rallied  in  the  swamp,  in  which  the  rebels 
for  a  time  followed  them.  One  shot  from  Sergeant  Mills 
broke  an  arm  for  one  of  his  most  persistent  pursuers,  and 
others  doubtless  used  their  tried  weapons  to  some  purpose. 

The  duty  of  the  foragers  ceased  after  this  date.  They  had 
faithfully  fulfilled  their  trust,  and  the  regiment  had  nearly 
always  been  well  fed  by  the  brave  band.  The  Fifty-fifth 
drew  on  the  march  less  government  rations  than  any  other 
regiment  of  the  division,  and  every  surviving  member  of  it 
present  in  that  campaign  will  ever  hold  the  services  of  Cap 
tain  Oliver  and  his  detail  in  grateful  remembrance,  for  they 
held  the  comfort  if  not  the  lives  of  their  comrades  in  their 
hands. 

The  bummers  formed  an  element  of  the  army  deserving 
of  some  recognition  here;  for,  although  their  names  will  not 
appear  in  this  record,  the  Fifty-fifth  was  not  without  represent 
atives  in  this  irregular  body.  The  name  was  used  to  desig- 


THE    BUMMERS.  427 

nate  self-constituted  foragers,  and  every  regiment  had.  its 
delegates  among  this  class  which,  at  times,  would  perhaps 
outnumber  the  regular  detail;  and  their  presence  in  large 
numbers  often  aided  the  latter  in  driving  the  enemy,  and 
securing  the  food.  They  would  be  absent  from  their  com 
mands  many  days  at  a  time,  but  upon  their  return  they 
always  brought  in  a  good  supply  of  the  choicest  spoils  of  the 
land,  as  a  peace  offering  for  their  unsoldierly  and  improper 
conduct. 

Many  of  the  soldiers  were  at  times  without  shoes.  To 
such  men,  by  order  of  the  commander,  rejected  horses  and 
mules  were  given  on  which  they  rode  in  rear  of  their  respect 
ive  commands.  Being  thus  mounted  it  was  an  easy  matter 
to  slip  out  and  join  the  army  of  bummers,  and  many  availed 
themselves  of  the  opportunity,  soon  developing  into  the  most 
reckless  of  their  class.  These  men  with  their  feet  wrapped 
up  in  old  rags  would  frequently  capture  boots  or  shoes,  but 
would  sell  or  give  them  to  a  comrade,  preferring  a  ride  and 
their  barefooted  freedom. 

The  bummers  were  always  found  at  the  front.  Parties  of 
them,  without  officers,  would  join  together  and  resist  a  charge 
of  cavalry,  or  make  an  attack  upon  the  enemy,  and  they 
were  almost  always  the  victors  in  a  skirmish.  The  advance 
at  Cheraw  and  Fayetteville  was  composed  of  this  class, 
joined  with  the  regular  foragers,  and  what  fighting  was  done 
in  the  capture  of  these  places  was  justly  credited  to  them. 

Many,  of  course,  were  merely  treasure  seekers,  and  in 
order  to  succeed  in  their  search  it  was  necessary  to  be  in  the 
van.  They  speedily  overran  a  town,  and  were  the  terror  of 
the  inhabitants.  Sometimes  they  would  constitute  them 
selves  guards  over  private  houses  for  a  money  consideration, 
and  protect  the  property  against  the  vandalism  of  their  asso 
ciates.  When  the  army  moved  and  they  abandoned  their 
posts  for  new  fields,  it  is  doubtful  whether  they  received  the 
blessings  or  curses  of  those  they  had  protected. 

Notwithstanding  all  that  has  been  said  or  written  deroga 
tory  to  the  bummer,  his  voluntary  services  at  the  front  and 
flanks  were,  at  times,  of  great  value  to  the  army.  His  good 
deeds  often  over-balanced  his  bad  ones,  and  the  mantle  of 
charity  may  well  be  thrown  over  him. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

FROM    GOLDSBOROUGH    TO    CHICAGO. 

WHILE  in  camp  at  Goldsborough,  on  the  evening  of 
March  2Oth,  a  meeting  was  held  with  reference  to 
electing  officers  to  fill  the  positions  of  lieutenant-colonel  and 
major,  the  regiment  not  having  men  enough  to  entitle  it  to  a 
colonel.  The  feeling  in  favor  of  an  election  to  fill  the  exist 
ing  vacancies  was  the  result  of  the  official  sanction  given  to 
such  procedure  at  the  time  of  re-enlistment  as  an  inducement 
for  the  Fifty-fifth  to  join  the  brotherhood  of  veterans,  and 
because  those  high  in  authority  then  recognized  the  unfitness 
of  the  existing  field  officers  for  their  positions.  The  orders 
on  that  occasion,  by  their  express  terms  only  applied  to  the 
officers  needed  upon  re-organization,  but  it  was  claimed  by 
many  that  the  elective  right  was  impliedly  vested  in  the  en 
listed  men  during  the  remainder  of  their  term. 

All  the  officers  mentioned  in  the  previous  pages  as  com 
missioned  or  elected  to  hold  field  positions  in  the  regiment 
had  by  the  casualties  of  battle  or  other  causes  left  the  service 
during  or  before  the  campaign  succeeding  the  fall  of  Atlanta. 
Captain  Henry  S.  Nourse,  the  senior  officer,  upon  arriving  in 
Goldsborough  at  the  end  of  the  Carolina  campaign,  had 
chosen  to  be  mustered  out,  his  term  of  enlistment  having 
long  expired.  It  is  not  clear  how  many  officers  participated 
in  the  effort  to  secure  an  election  at  this  time.  It  is  certain, 
however,  that  some,  among  whom  may  be  named  Oliver, 
Roberts  and  Ebersold,  neither  took  part  nor  believed  in  it  as 


AT    GOLDSBOROUGH.  429 

a  matter  of  right  or  policy.  Those  enlisted  men  who  saw  fit 
proceeded  on  March  2ist  to  express  their  choice  for  field 
officers,  with  the  following  result:  There  were  seventy-eight 
votes  altogether  cast  for  lieutenant-colonel,  of  which  John  B. 
Ridenour  received  fifty-nine,  Charles  A.  Andress  eighteen, 
and  Giles  F.  Hand  one  vote.  For  major  there  were  only 
sixty  votes  cast,  of  which  Francis  A.  Scott  received  forty- 
one,  Robert  Oliver  ten,  J.  August  Smith  eight,  and  Charles 
A.  Andress  one  vote.  On  April  1st,  ten  days  later,  there 
were  reported  one  hundred  and  forty-three  men  present  for 
duty.  It  is  apparent,  therefore,  that  but  few  more  than  half 
the  regiment  participated  in  this  so-called  election,  and  less 
than  half  voted  for  major.  Some  companies  are  reported  to 
have  taken  no  part  whatever,  and  the  result  obtained  no 
recognition  from  the  officers  of  the  army  or  of  the  state. 

It  was,  however,  in  a  measure  a  compliment  to  those  who 
received  the  highest  vote;  they  had  fought  their  way  up  from 
the  ranks,  and  it  showed  at  least  that  they  had  the  good-will 
of  the  majority  of  those  who  chose  to  go  through  the  forms 
of  an  election.  Lieutenant  Ridenour  had  been  made  cor 
poral  in  1862,  was  grievously  wounded  at  Shiloh,  won  his 
promotions  subsequently  step  by  step,  and  during  his  whole 
term  had  been  always  known  as  a  thoroughly  reliable  sol 
dier  and  consistent  Christian. 

All  Fools'  Day  was  noisily  observed  in  camp.  Every  man 
who  did  not  stay  close  in  quarters  and  hold  his  peace  became 
sooner  or  later  the  victim  of  some  ridiculous  joke.  Disci 
pline  was  for  a  time  abandoned,  even  the  officers  joining  in 
the  frolic  to  the  loss  of  all  authority.  Finally,  the  postmas 
ter  having  prepared  a  quantity  of  letters,  at  dark  shouted  the 
ever-welcome  call,  "  Come  and  get  your  mail."  The  soldiers 
eagerly  obeyed  the  summons,  and  only  discovered  the  decep 
tion  when  they  opened  the  envelopes  at  their  quarters,  by 
which  time  the  cruel  joker  was  safe  in  concealment. 

On  April  10th  the  army  took  up  the  march  again  in  the 
direction  of  the  capital  of  North  Carolina.  News  of  the 
capture  of  Richmond  had  just  been  received,  and  all  were 
jubilant  over  the  prospect  of  the  speedy  end  of  the  rebellion. 
But  when  a  dispatch  came  on  the  twelfth  announcing  that 


43°  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

General  Lee  had  surrendered  his  whole  army  to  General 
Grant,  the  troops  became  crazy  with  enthusiasm.  The  long 
column  from  van  to  rear  guard  was  soon  in  an  uproarious, 
uncontrollable  state  of  excitement  that  did  not  subside  dur 
ing  the  day.  Every  one  knew  that  the  long  and  bloody  war 
was  at  an  end.  Home  seemed  almost  in  sight.  No  wonder 
that  an  exultant  joy  took  possession  of  each  soldier's  heart, 
and  manifested  itself  in  the  wildest  demonstrations. 

On  the  thirteenth  two  men  of  the  regiment  captured  four 
Confederate  soldiers,  who  were  "tired  of  war,"  and  reported 
that  Johnston's  army  was  fast  being  depleted  by  desertions. 
Raleigh  was  occupied  the  next  day,  and  the  army  marching 
through  its  streets  and  passing  in  review  before  General  Sher 
man  at  the  capitol,  presented  a  grand  military  pageant. 
Many  citizens  greeted  it  with  demonstrations  of  joy,  evincing 
their  gratification  that  the  close  of  the  great  conflict  was  near 
at  hand.  The  ladies  particularly  were  lavish  with  smiles  and 
greetings  of  welcome,  which  the  soldiers  acknowledged  by 
cheers  as  they  passed. 

The  shocking  news  of  the  assassination  of  the  President 
was  received  on  the  seventeenth,  and  cast  a  deep  gloom  over 
all  the  camp.  Loud  and  angry  expressions  of  hatred  for  the 
dastard  who  perpetrated  the  deed,  and  the  cowardly  traitors 
who  sanctioned  it,  were  heard  everywhere.  The  same  day 
General  Sherman  met  General  Johnston  under  a  flag  of  truce 
to  consider  terms  of  capitulation  for  the  army  in  our  front. 
Owing  to  a  disagreement  arising  between  Secretary  Stanton 
and  General  Sherman,  the  final  surrender  was  not,  however, 
consummated  until  April  27th,  when  orders  were  issued  for 
the  homeward  march. 

While  in  camp  about  four  miles  north  of  Raleigh  the  Fifty- 
fifth  received  a  beautiful  national  flag,  upon  which  were 
inscribed  the  names  of  the  battles  in  which  the  regiment 
had  participated.  It  was  the  gift  of  Chicago  friends,  chief 
of  whom  was  Fred  P.  Fisher,  a  brother  of  our  third  adjutant, 
Francis  P.  Fisher.  This  appropriate  gift  was  warmly  wel 
comed  by  every  member  of  the  regiment,  at  its  formal  recep 
tion  was  greeted  with  hearty  cheers,  and  a  vote  of  thanks 
was  unanimously  tendered  the  donors. 


ON    TO    RICHMOND.  431 

In  the  same  camp,  during  the  delay  attending  the  arrange 
ment  of  the  terms  of  surrender  for  Johnston's  army,  the  men 
who  for  a  time  had  been  subsisting  exclusively  upon  the  ra 
tions  furnished  by  government,  began  to  weary  of  their 
monotonous  diet.  They  had  for  so  many  months  been  feast 
ing  upon  the  fat  of  the  land  that  hard-bread  and  salt  pork 
palled  upon  their  appetites.  Foraging  was,  however,  posi 
tively  forbidden  by  orders,  early  in  April.  The  situation 
seemed  to  veterans  to  warrant  the  adoption  of  extraordinary 
and  perhaps  even  questionable  measures.  A  squad  of  men 
from  the  regiment  went  out  about  ten  miles  to  a  wealthy 
planter's  and  persuaded  him  to  sell  them  a  wagon-load  of 
miscellaneous  provisions,  very  cheap.  He  was  permitted  to 
accompany  them  to  camp  in  order  to  convey  the  purchase 
with  his  own  team  and  wagon,  but  was  mildly  enjoined  to 
reply  promptly  to  any  inquirers  who  might  ask  impertinent 
questions  about  his  load,  that  the  soldiers  had  satisfactorily 
paid  for  it.  This  he  did,  the  goods  were  safely  delivered, 
and  the  expedition  was  proclaimed  a  glorious  success. 

The  whole  army  of  Sherman  took  up  the  march  April 
29th,  bound  for  Washington  via  Richmond.  The  command 
ing  general  had  gone  to  visit  Savannah  and  other  points  in 
the  South  in  order  to  confer  with  various  officers  and  settle 
matters  pertaining  to  their  departments.  The  corps  and 
many  of  the  division  generals  turned  their  commands  over 
to  subordinates  and  hurried  in  advance  to  Richmond  and 
Washington  for  a  festival  of  rejoicing  over  the  triumph  of 
the  Union  arms.  The  officers  left  in  command  entered  into 
a  friendly  contest,  as  the  newspapers  of  the  day  character 
ized  it,  to  see  which  could  reach  Richmond  first.  The  result 
of  this  amicable  race  was  a  disorganized  and  fagged-out 
column  of  troops  put  to  the  severest  test  of  endurance. 
Brigades  would  be  ordered  to  take  the  road  in  the  middle  of 
the  night  in  order  to  steal  around  other  troops  and  get  in  the 
advance.  There  was  more  straggling  and  actual  suffering 
from  fatigue  in  this  march,  perhaps,  than  in  any  other  during 
the  Carolina  campaign.  Thirty-five  miles  a  day  were  made 
by  some  commands.  The  first  warm  weather  of  the  season 
had  come,  making  the  tramp  doubly  exhausting  to  the  men, 


432  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

and  several  fatal  sun-strokes  were  reported.  Twenty-eight 
miles  was  the  longest  distance  covered  by  the  Fifty-fifth  in 
one  day. 

The  people,  white  and  black,  all  along  the  route  greeted 
us  with  demonstrations  of  joy.  All  seemed  delighted  that 
the  bloody  war  was  over,  and  their  absent  friends  coming 
home  again.  The  paroled  prisoners  congregated  along  the 
column  and  about  the  camps  and  freely  discussed  the  cam 
paigns  and  their  future  status  under  the  government,  about 
which  they  seemed  deeply  concerned.  It  was  the  universal 
expression  that  if  the  conquerors  would  allow  the  conquered 
their  homes  and  equal  rights  with  all  in  prosecuting  their 
business  they  would  be  content.  They  did  not  expect  a 
voice  in  the  management  of  the  republic  which  they  had 
fought  so  hard  to  destroy. 

But  what  a  change  has  been  wrought !  Our  paroled  pris 
oners  have  now  equal  voice  with  the  patriotic  victors  in  the 
control  of  the  government  against  which  they  waged  an 
unholy  and  bloody  war,  and  for  which  their  leaders  have 
little  love  today.  In  the  highest  councils  of  the  nation  trea 
son  is  lauded  by  the  traitors  who  instigated  the  rebellion  and 
who  were  governing  spirits  in  the  attack  against  the  life  of 
the  grandest  republic  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  Patriotism 
blushes  with  shame  at  the  humiliating  spectacle.  The  ad 
ministration  is  handicapped  by  the  power  and  influence  of 
its  chief  advisers,  who  were  given  their  high  authority  by  the 
votes  of  the  paroled  prisoners  and  apologists  of  treason. 
The  Southern  oligarchy  has  taken  control  of  the  government 
and  the  Northern  patriots  are  supplicants  at  its  feet.  Union 
soldiers  who  sacrificed  health  in  defence  of  their  country  are 
kicked  out  of  place  to  make  room  for  rebels  they  conquered. 
Maimed  and  diseased  soldiers  are  sneeringly  refused  pensions 
by  the  chief  executive.  How  long  shall  we  bear  these  humil 
iations  at  the  hands  of  our  old  enemy?  Comrades  of  the 
Fifty-fifth,  let  us  remember  the  four  hundred  and  fifty  of  our 
number  killed  and  wounded  by  the  men  who  now  rule  over 
us,  and  register  a  vow  to  wage  as  desperate  a  battle  against 
them  with  the  ballot  as  we  did  with  the  bullet. 

Petersburg  was  reached  on  May  7th.     Here  the  Fifteenth 


THE    GRAND    REVIEW.  433 

Corps  was  reviewed  by  General  Howard,  and  a  day's  rest  was 
taken  and  enjoyed  by  the  men  in  visiting  the  immense  forti 
fications  around  that  city,  where  Grant  and  Lee  had  contended 
so  long.  Marks  of  the  desperate  struggle  were  visible  every 
where.  At  the  site  of  the  mine  we  could  see  human  bones 
yet  strewn  over  the  ground.  But  the  wrecks  of  war  only 
feebly  illustrate  its  horrors.  The  army  went  into  camp  on 
the  tenth  at  Manchester,  opposite  Richmond,  where  a  two 
days'  halt  was  ordered.  The  rebel  capital  and  its  numerous 
places  of  note  were  thoroughly  inspected.  Libby  Prison  and 
Castle  Thunder  awakened  sad  reminiscences  and  just  wrath 
against  the  now  fugitive  authorities  responsible  for  the 
infamous  cruelty  to  our  comrades  therein  confined. 

The  column  was  again  put  in  motion  May  I3th,  and  pass 
ing  in  turn  the  noted  battle  grounds  north  of  Richmond, 
marched  via  Hanover  Court-House,  Bowling  Green,  Freder- 
icksburg,  Stafford  Court-House  and  Dumfries  to  Alexandria. 
Near  the  latter  place  we  encamped  at  noon  of  the  twenty- 
first,  and  began  preparations  for  the  farewell  review,  to  take 
place  at  the  Capital.  On  the  twenty-third  the  Second  divis 
ion  moved  towards  Washington  and  went  into  bivouac  for 
the  night  at  the  southerly  end  of  Long  Bridge.  The  follow 
ing  day  the  Fifty-fifth  took  its  assigned  position  in  the 
column  for  the  Grand  Review.  Its  rank  and  file  were  ragged 
and  visibly  bore  many  marks  of  the  hard  campaigning  they 
had  endured;  but  they  marched  with  a  true  and  steady  step, 
proud  in  the  consciousness  of  having  performed  their  whole 
duty  to  their  country,  and  receiving  as  their  honest  due  a  full 
share  of  the  plaudits  tendered  by  the  assembled  multitude  to 
the  bravest  of  the  brave. 

A  camp  was  established  two  miles  north  of  the  city,  and 
the  men  improved  the  opportunity  for  visiting  the  public 
buildings  and  noteworthy  places  near  the  Capital,  all  tending 
to  impress  them  with  the  greatness  of  our  country.  The 
recruits  belonging  to  the  One-hundred-sixteenth  and  One- 
hundred-twenty-seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  upon  the  expira 
tion  of  the  term  of  service  of  those  regiments  and  consequent 
muster-out,  were  attached  to  the  Fifty-fifth.  This  nominally 
added  eighty-five  men  to  our  thinned  ranks  —  a  re-enforce- 
28 


434  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

ment  which,  however  welcome,  was  useless,  for  the  war  was 
over. 

At  this  camp  sundry  promotions  in  the  regiment  were  an 
nounced,  and  several  commissions  issued,  as  follows:  Captain 
Charles  A.  Andress  of  Company  I  was  commissioned  lieu 
tenant-colonel;  Captain  Giles  F.  Hand  of  Company  F,  major; 
John  B.  Tompkins,  assistant-surgeon.  First-Lieutenant  John 
B.  Ridenour  of  Company  A  was  promoted  captain;  Sergeant 
Harrison  H.  Prickett  of  Company  A,  first-lieutenant;  Ser 
geant  Isaac  Wooding  of  Company  D,  first-lieutenant;  Ser 
geant  David  N.  Holmes  of  Company  F,  first-lieutenant; 
Second-Lieutenant  Peter  Roberts  of  Company  G,  captain; 
Second-Lieutenant  Francis  A.  Scott  of  Company  H,  captain; 
Sergeant  Artemas  C.  Richardson  of  Company  H,  first-lieu 
tenant;  First-Lieutenant  Fred  Ebersold  of  Company  I,  cap 
tain;  Sergeant  Dorsey  C.  Andress  of  Company  I,  first-lieu 
tenant;  James  W.  Kays  of  Company  K,  first-lieutenant. 

The  Western  army  left  its  encampments  June  2d,  and  pro 
ceeded  by  railroad  to  Parkersburg,  West  Virginia,  and  thence 
by  boats  to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  where  camps  were  estab 
lished  and  all  expected  to  be  speedily  disbanded.  At  this 
point  commissions  came  for  those  promoted,  as  previously 
named.  These  official  documents  arrived  by  mail  on  the 
twenty-third,  and  the  recipients  were  at  once  called  upon  to 
"stand  treat"  in  their  respective  companies.  It  had  long 
been  customary  in  the  regiment  for  a  newly  commissioned 
officer  to  furnish  his  men,  in  honor  of  the  assumption  of  his 
rank,  with  something  delectable  to  the  palate,  if  not  exhila 
rating  to  the  spirits.  Louisville  could  supply  everything 
eatable  and  drinkable,  and  the  new  officials  had  no  excuse 
for  not  satisfying  all  tastes.  The  soldiers  partook  of  the 
bounty  furnished  in  camp  fashion,  and  good  fellowship 
reigned  over  the  festivities. 

The  troops,  present  in  great  numbers,  were  paid  off  and 
discharged  as  rapidly  as  possible.  The  Fifty-fifth  was  wait 
ing  patiently  for  its  turn  to  come,  preparing  papers  for  the 
final  settlement  of  accounts  with  the  government,  when  or 
ders  unexpectedly  came  for  the  Second  division  to  get  ready 
to  move  to  Arkansas.  This  struck  dismay  to  the  hearts  of 


ORDERED    TO    ARKANSAS.  435 

all.  Ever  since  the  organization  of  the  old  Second  division 
it  had  repeatedly  been  given  extra  marching  and  excessive 
work;  and  now  with  home  almost  in  sight,  to  be  sent  South 
again  for  garrison  duty  was  too  intolerable  to  contemplate. 
The  regiment  was  paid  off  on  the  twenty-ninth,  and  with  the 
other  regiments  of  the  division  took  boat  on  the  thirtieth  for 
the  voyage  down  the  Ohio.  The  Fifty-seventh  Ohio  and  the 
Fifty-fifth  were  embarked  on  board  of  the  Pocahontas,  a  mis 
erable  old  tub.  The  fleet  was  not  allowed  to  land  at  promi 
nent  towns,  but  was  held  at  anchor  in  the  middle  of  the 
river,  while  the  officers  and  boat's  crew  went  ashore  in  skiffs. 
This  was  an  exasperating  sight  to  the  men,  and  its  frequent 
repetition  added  fuel  to  the  smouldering  fire. 

In  approaching  Memphis,  Tennessee,  where  many  of  the 
regiments  of  the  division  had  encamped  for  a  long  time  three 
years  before,  the  men  swore  they  were  going  to  land.  When 
the  city  was  sighted  a  cheer  went  up  from  all  the  boats, 
betokening  some  conspiracy.  About  noon  the  transports 
cast  anchor  in  front  of  the  town,  which  had  a  very  inviting 
look  to  the  men  who  had  spent  many  enjoyable  months  there 
in  1862.  The  troops  in  large  numbers  were  seen  to  collect 
on  the  bows  of  the  boats.  By  some  unforseen  cause  the 
anchor  cables  broke,  or  the  rudder  ropes  gave  way,  and  the 
steam  having  gone  down  the  boats  were  soon  floating  help 
lessly  in  the  current.  After  drifting  a  few  miles  every  thing 
was  righted,  and  the  fleet  lay  in  the  stream  till  night,  when  it 
moved  up  under  Fort  Pickering.  It  is  needless  to  say  that 
most  of  the  men  spent  the  night  in  the  city. 

Devall's  Bluff,  on  White  River,  was  reached  July  3d.  The 
"glorious  fourth"  was  not  very  joyously  celebrated,  the 
troops  awaiting  transportation  to  Little  Rock,  which  place 
they  reached  by  cars  on  the  sixth.  The  Fifty-fifth  took  pos 
session  of  the  old  log  barracks  of  a  deserted  camp  near  the 
city.  The  routine  of  camp  duty,  including  brigade  drill,  was 
at  once  inaugurated  here,  which  was  sadly  distasteful  to  the 
men.  The  weather  was  extremely  hot,  the  brigade  drills 
were  voted  a  nuisance,  and  but  few  men  were  around  when 
drill  call  sounded.  It  was  a  great  hardship  for  veterans  to 
play  soldier,  and  they  did  not  play  it  when  they  could  avoid  it. 


436  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

Frequent  visits  were  made  to  the  city,  where  the  men 
found  various  sources  of  relief  from  the  monotony  of  the 
camp.  Late  one  night  several  were  returning  to  their  quar 
ters,  and  when  passing  near  the  colored  section  in  the 
suburbs,  heard  a  series  of  unearthly  yells,  shrieks  and  groans 
breaking  suddenly  upon  the  stillness  of  the  night.  A  rush 
was  made  for  the  house  from  which  the  noises  came,  and  the 
men  broke  in  without  ceremony,  expecting  to  interrupt  or 
prevent  a  bloody  tragedy.  An  old  colored  man  saluted  them 
upon  their  entrance  with,  "Please,  mister  sojers,  doant  'terrupt 
de  meetin';  we  jes  havin'  a  little  'ligious  'citement."  The  un 
invited  guests  withdrew  and  the  negro  revival  doubtless  pro 
ceeded  with  renewed  fervor. 

The  following  promotions  were  announced  at  Little  Rock: 
Adjutant  J.  August  Smith  to  captain  of  Company  F;  Ser 
geant-Major  John  G.  Brown  to  adjutant;  Sergeant  Theodore 
Shultz  of  Company  C,  to  quartermaster;  First-Lieutenant 
Harrison  H.  Prickett  of  Company  A,  to  captain  in  place  of 
John  B.  Ridenour,  resigned  at  Louisville,  Kentucky;  Sergeant 
William  McCumber  of  Company  A,  to  first-lieutenant;  Ser 
geant  Francis  Bandfield  of  Company  B,  to  captain;  Sergeant 
Robert  R.  Elliott  of  Company  B,  to  first-lieutenant;  Sergeant 
C.  F.  Bennett  of  Company  G,  to  first-lieutenant.  Some  of 
the  officers  had  been  performing  for  some  time  the  duties  of 
the  positions  to  which  they  were  promoted;  which  was  also 
true  of  most  of  those  who  received  promotion  at  Washing 
ton.  During  the  campaigns  through  Georgia  and  the  Caro- 
linas  the  regiment  had  but  fourteen  commissioned  officers 
present. 

Time  dragged  heavily  with  the  men,  waiting  for  something 
to  turn  up.  The  question,  "What  are  we  here  for?"  was  fre 
quently  asked.  The  camp  was  thrown  into  joyous  excite 
ment  on  July  3ist,  by  the  announcement  that  we  were  to  be 
discharged  as  soon  as  the  necessary  papers  could  be  made 
out.  Earnest  and  vigorous  work  began,  and  was  prosecuted 
day  and  night  to  completion,  when  the  following  order  was 
read  to  the  regiment : 


HOMEWARD    BOUND.  437 

RS  IST  BRIGADE,  20  DIVISION,  15x11  A. 
LITTLE  ROCK,  ARK.,  August  i3th,  1865. 


HEADQUARTERS  IST  BRIGADE,  2D  DIVISION,  15™  A.  C., ) 


General  Order, 

No.  40. 
OFFICERS  AND  SOLDIERS  OF  THE  FIRST  BRIGADE  : 

I  have  the  honor  to  congratulate  you  that  the  time  has  arrived 
when  you  will  be  mustered-out  and  sent  to  your  homes  for  final  payment 
and  discharge.  It  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  enumerate  the  many  marches, 
bivouacs  and  skirmishes  that  you  have  been  engaged  in  ;  history  will  do 
that.  In  returning  to  your  homes  you  will  bear  with  you  my  best  wishes 
for  your  future  welfare,  and  my  hope  that  you  may  be  as  good  and 
obedient  citizens  in  peace  as  you  have  been  soldiers  in  war. 

THEO.  JONES, 

Brevet  Brig. -Gen' I  Commanding. 

The  regiment,  numbering  nineteen  commissioned  and  two 
hundred  and  sixteen  enlisted  men,  including  the  assigned 
recruits,  was  mustered-out  August  I4th,  and  bade  farewell  to 
Little  Rock  the  next  day.  The  journey  homeward  was  by 
cars  to  Devall's  Bluff,  where  in  company  with  the  Fifty-sev 
enth  Ohio,  the  regiment  embarked  upon  a  steamer  for  their 
last  voyage  together  down  the  White  and  up  the  Mississippi 
river.  When  Memphis  again  came  in  view,  the  veterans 
remembering  their  many  exploits  and  experiences  there, 
greeted  it  with  cheers.  As  the  boat  neared  the  well  remem 
bered  landing  a  large  pile  of  watermelons  was  discovered  on 
the  shore,  and  fearing  lest  the  temptation  might  be  too  much 
for  them,  the  men  sounded  an  alarm  cry  of,  "Take  in  those 
melons!"  But  their  kindly  warning  was  unheeded  by  those 
interested  in  the  property.  All  crowded  upon  the  side  of 
the  boat  next  to  the  shore,  making  landing  difficult  by  caus 
ing  the  boat  to  careen  seriously.  The  mate  cursed  as  only  a 
mate  can,  and  implored  the  soldiers  to  distribute  themselves 
over  the  boat  if  they  did  not  want  the  boilers  to  blow  them 
sky-high.  "Let  her  bust,"  was  all  the  consolation  he  got 
from  them.  Before  the  plank  was  run  out  half  the  men  were 
ashore  interviewing  the  melons,  most  of  which  accompanied 
them  back  upon  the  boat. 

Chicago  was  entered  by  the  regiment  on  the  eighteenth 
in  the  midst  of  a  rain-storm,  and  temporary  quarters  were 
secured  at  the  Soldiers'  Rest.  The  next  day  we  marched  to 
Camp  Douglas  where,  as  a  final  farewell  to  government 


43$  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

rations,  we  were  fed  on  sour  bread  and  wormy  meat.  Our 
arms  and  accoutrements  were  here  turned  over  to  the  ord 
nance  department.  The  parting  from  these  drew  out  many 
strong  expressions  of  regret,  for  they  had  served  us  through 
numerous  hard  contests,  and,  as  long  worn  and  tried  com 
panions,  were  closely  associated  with  most  of  our  memories 
of  the  eventful  years  passed  in  fighting  for  the  Union.  The 
paymaster  visited  us  on  the  twenty-fifth,  and  the  signing  of 
the  pay-roll  receipts  was  the  winding  up  of  our  military  con 
tract. 

Notwithstanding  the  members  of  the  regiment  had  all 
anxiously  looked  with  longing  for  the  day  of  final  discharge, 
when  the  time  for  their  separation  came  there  were  struggles 
with  the  emotions  which  showed  themselves,  although  not  in 
words,  for  no  language  can  express  the  feelings  of  sorrow  at 
parting  between  comrades  whose  regard  for  each  other  has 
grown  from  long  companionship  amid  the  scenes  of  a  bloody 
war.  We  were  citizens  again,  and  each  one  after  the  parting 
words  and  hand-shaking  took  his  individual  way  homeward 
to  join  the  dear  ones  around  the  family  hearth-stone,  and 
enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  labor  in  saving  and  purifying  our  gov 
ernment. 

The  Fifty-fifth  had  been  in  the  service  four  years,  and 
how  well,  and  at  what  cost,  it  had  filled  its  place  in  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  the  foregoing  pages  and  the 
table  of  casualties  will  attest.  The  whole  number  of  individ 
uals  that  appeared  upon  its  rolls  during  the  war  according  to 
the  Adjutant-General's  Reports,  was  eleven  hundred  and 
ninety-one.  Of  this  aggregate  eighty-five  were  the  recruits 
belonging  to  the  One-hundred-sixteenth  and  One-hundred- 
twenty-seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  temporarily  attached  to  the 
Fifty-fifth  in  June,  1865,  to  complete  their  term  of  service. 
They  came  to  the  regiment  some  time  after  all  fighting  had 
ceased,  and  the  disbanding  of  the  army  had  begun.  Their 
record  properly  appertains  to  the  commands  with  which  they 
first  served.  Sixteen  more  were  unassigned  recruits, —  not 
one  of  them  ever  seen  with  the  regiment.  Twenty  were 
members  of  the  regimental  band,  and  were  discharged  by 
order  of  the  War  Department  before  the  field  of  action  was 


CONCLUDING    SUMMARY.  439 

reached.  Deducting  these  one  hundred  and  twenty-one 
men,  we  find  the  correct  number  of  those  fairly  considered 
members  of  the  regiment  during  the  war  to  be  ten  hundred 
and  seventy.  Nor  did  so  many  as  this  perform  actual  service 
or  ever  reach  the  front.  At  Camp  Douglas,  Benton  Barracks 
and  Paducah  very  many  dropped  out  by  resignation  and  dis 
charge,  and  a  few  died  of  disease.  Twelve  recruits  enlisted 
in  1865  joined  ^the  regiment  after  the  last  battle  had  been 
fought  and  the  Confederacy  had  succumbed. 

Any  computation,  therefore,  of  the  proper  percentages  of 
regimental  loss  must  keep  in  view  the  fact  that  considerably 
less  than  a  thousand  men  ever  served  their  country  in  the 
Fifty-fifth  outside  of  the  camps  of  instruction.  Four  hun 
dred  and  forty-eight  of  this  number  were  killed  or  wounded 
in  battle,  over  one  hundred  of  whom  were  reported  as  killed 
outright.  Thus  forty-two  per  cent,  of  the  total  number  ever 
borne  upon  the  rolls  in  the  field  were  hurt  by  Confederate 
missiles  severely  enough  to  place  their  names  in  the  battle 
reports  —  or  certainly  more  than  half  of  those  who  followed 
the  regimental  colors  upon  the  soil  of  a  rebel  state.  Others 
there  were  so  slightly  touched  by  bullet  or  shell  as  to  decline 
to  report  themselves  wounded.  But  fifty-five  were  captured 
by  the  enemy,  and  taking  this  into  consideration,  the  heavy 
percentage  of  battle  casualties  is  remarkable,  and  perhaps 
rarely  equalled. 

The  number  who  died  of  wounds  during  the  war,  owing 
to  imperfect  records  cannot  be  ascertained  with  accuracy. 
Fifty-five  were  duly  reported,  but  doubtless  several  others 
found  premature  graves  after  discharge,  and  before  the  down 
fall  of  the  rebellion.  The  number  of  those  who  lost  their 
lives  by  disease  before  the  close  of  the  rebellion  is  likewise 
uncertain,  because  most  of  these  died  in  hospitals  far  distant 
from  their  companies,  and  their  history  often  failed  to  reach 
the  company  commanders.  They  are  reported  as  one  hun 
dred  and  twelve,  not  equalling  the  aggregate  of  the  killed 
and  mortally  wounded.  This  is  a  somewhat  unusual  record 
in  the  history  of  protracted  warfare,  the  mortality  by  disease 
often  being  largely  in  excess  of  the  slain  in  action. 

The    Fifty-fifth   participated   in  thirty-one   engagements, 


44°  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

besides  the  prolonged  siege  operations  at  Vicksburg  and 
Atlanta,  and  was  under  fire  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight 
days.  It  marched  three  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty 
miles,  travelled  by  railway  two  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
seventy-five  miles,  and  by  boat  five  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  fifty  miles;  or  in  all,  eleven  thousand  nine  hundred  and 
sixty-five  miles.  It  entered  every  state  classed  as  Southern 
save  Delaware,  Florida  and  Texas. 

The  valiant  service  of  the  Fifty-fifth  and  the  heroic  deeds 
of  its  bravest  were  never  glorified  in  battle  reports,  and  in 
the  various  histories  of  campaigns  and  memoirs  of  generals 
it  has  received  no  laudation.  The  regiment  had  no  subsidized 
correspondents  to  publish  far  and  wide  its  special  achieve 
ments  in  glowing  phrase.  It  has  not  received  even  from  its 
members  the  recognition  justly  its  due.  It  is  hoped  that  this 
truthful  story,  though  given  to  the  public  at  a  late  day,  and 
narrated  with  inadequate  talent,  may  give  it  proper  rank  in 
the  regards  of  a  grateful  people.  If  so,  the  historians  will 
feel  largely  repaid  for  their  perplexing  labors. 


PERSONAL    REMINISCENCES 


BY 


CHAPLAIN    MILTON    L.    HANEY. 


IN  writing  this  chapter  for  the  history  of  our  regiment,  I 
have  yielded  to  the  urgent  request  of  my  old  comrades, 
but  with  much  hesitancy;  for  my  memory  concerning  facts 
of  twenty-five  years  ago  is  none  too  vivid,  and  the  press  of 
ministerial  work  at  present  gives  scant  opportunity  for  liter 
ary  labor.  I  cheerfully  contribute  my  mite,  however,  for  the 
book  is  a  necessity  to  do  justice  to  as  noble  a  body  of  men 
as  were  ever  mustered  into  ranks  or  stood  in  battle  line  for 
home  and  native  land.  The  men  and  officers  of  the  line 
have  never  had  their  due,  and  nowhere  is  this  fact  more  con 
spicuous  than  in  the  meagreness  of  the  place  which  the 
reports  of  the  commanding  officers  have  given  them  in  the 
battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing.  As  an  eye  witness  of  their 
deeds  in  that  battle,  I  cannot  die  without  testifying  to  the 
fact  that  their  unsurpassed  bravery  preserved  the  left  flank 
of  the  Union  army  from  utter  destruction.  This  was  not  due 
to  the  skill  of  their  commanders,  but  to  the  dogged,  deter 
mined,  death-defying  gallantry  of  brave  men,  in  whose 
hearts  there  coursed  not  one  drop  of  disloyal  blood.  Surely, 
if  for  no  other  reason,  this  book  was  demanded,  to  place  this 
gallant  regiment  in  its  true  relation  to  the  battle  of  Pittsburg 
Landing. 


442  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

In  entering  upon  the  duties  incident  to  the  chaplaincy  of 
our  regiment,  I  was  not  a  little  aided  by  the  fact  that  I  had 
already  served  five  months  as  a  captain.  This  experience 
had  given  me  a  knowledge  of  the  tricks  to  which  officers  at 
times  condescended,  and  opportunity  to  observe  the  causes 
of  the  failure  or  success  of  chaplains.  Beyond  this,  and 
conducing  more  to  what  little  success  I  may  have  attained, 
I  had  as  a  captain  by  some  means  gained  the  love  of  my 
company  and  a  place  in  the  hearts  of  the  line.  The  sympa 
thy  which,  as  a  Christian,  I  tried  to  manifest  by  ministering 
to  the  necessities  of  those  under  my  command,  was  returned 
in  kind.  It  may  not  seem  important  that  a  captain  should 
see  that  his  men  were  cared  for  in  their  lodgings,  and  pro 
tected  from  cold  on  the  deck  of  a  steamer,  but  twenty-five 
years  ago,  as  today,  there  was  a  chord  in  human  hearts  which 
vibrated  to  such  little  offices  of  love. 

During  my  entire  army  life  I  tried  not  to  forget  that  I  was 
a  Christian  and  a  minister  of  the  Word,  and  did  not  know 
ingly  compromise  the  truth  of  the  gospel  or  yield  to  the 
solicitations  of  wrong;  and  this  is  not  only  a  source  of  highest 
joy  to  me  now,  but  was  the  secret  of  all  that  was  successful 
in  my  career  as  a  chaplain  in  the  army.  I  remember  that 
after  the  election  of  our  field  officers  a  banquet  was  given  at 
Camp  Douglas,  to  which  the  commissioned  officers  were  all 
invited.  Another  captain  and  myself,  being  public  speakers, 
were  to  propose  and  respond  to  the  toasts.  Of  this  I  was 
ignorant  until  the  hour  of  invitation,  and  so  went  as  "a  lamb 
to  the  slaughter."  Arriving  at  the  feast,  I  was  conducted  to 
the  foot  of  the  table  where  a  glass  and  various  wines  were 
standing,  and  the  captain  to  whom  I  have  just  referred,  pour 
ing  out  some  wine,  motioned  me  to  imitate  him.  Upon  my 
refusing,  with  the  statement  that  I  did  not  drink,  he  and  the 
Swede  lieutenant-colonel  insisted  that  I  should  take  a  little 
Madeira  wine,  which,  they  explained,  was  "only  the  juice  of 
the  grape."  As  I  declined  to  assent  to  this,  it  was  proposed 
that  I  drink  water;  but  I  was  not  thirsty  and  could  not  drink 
even  water  there.  The  face  of  the  colonel  reddened  with 
anger,  but  my  stand  won  respect  and  saved  me  much  trouble 
throughout  the  war.  As  a  chaplain  I  must  have  failed  unless 


APPOINTED    CHAPLAIN.  443 

the  regiment  had  faith  in  the  sincerity  of  my  trust  in  God, 
but  with  their  confidence  in  my  integrity  I  could  not  fail.  I 
may  say  in  passing,  that  the  other  captain,  who  was  applaud 
ed  for  his  pliable  conscience,  and  doubtless  expected  honors 
for  yielding  to  the  wishes  of  these  men,  was  afterwards 
treated  with  contempt  and  retired  under  a  cloud. 

In  the  spring  of  1862,  when  we  were  encamped  at  Padu- 
cah,  our  chaplain  retired,  and  with  the  exception  of  my 
company  the  whole  regiment  besought  me  to  accept  his 
place.  To  this  request  I  yielded,  although  for  months  I 
doubted  the  wisdom  of  the  step.  I  had  learned  to  love  my 
men  so  well  that  it  was  painful  beyond  expression  to  sepa 
rate  from  them,  and  they  in  turn  could  scarce  forgive  me  for 
relinquishing  my  command.  Captain  Schleich,  the  just  and 
able  officer  who  succeeded  me,  advanced  the  company  much 
more  rapidly  than  I  could  have  done,  however,  and  the 
thought  of  leaving  it  in  such  capable  hands  did  much  to 
soften  the  pain  of  separation. 

The  authority  of  a  commander  is  of  course  subject  to 
abuse,  and  to  see  the  men  of  the  regiment  wronged  by  the 
perverted  use  of  official  power  always  pained  me.  Indeed  I 
was  often  compelled  to  violate  military  rule  by  identifying 
myself  with  the  men  as  against  certain  officers,  and  thus 
sometimes  came  into  sharp  collision  with  those  who  ranked 
me.  In  a  few  instances  it  became  necessary  for  me  to  follow 
in  the  steps  of  Peter  Cartwright  far  enough  to  manifest  a 
willingness  to  resort  to  physical  force;  but  happily  hostilities 
always  ceased  before  violence  ensued;  and  now  in  the  calm 
evening  of  my  life,  no  memory  gives  me  keener  pleasure 
than  that  once  I  was  willing  to  take  curses  upon  my  own 
head  which  otherwise  might  have  descended  in  blows  upon 
my  more  defenceless  comrades. 

On  the  field  of  Shiloh  we  fought  our  first  great  battle.  I 
remember  that  on  Saturday,  April  5th,  I  received  a  polite 
note  from  a  Michigan  colonel,  requesting  me  to  preach  that 
night  to  his  regiment,  which  formed  a  part  of  Prentiss'  divis 
ion.  I  accepted,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  offering  them 
Christ  as  an  almighty  Savior,  on  the  very  ground  which  was 
reddened  by  the  blood  of  many  of  them  before  nine  o'clock 


444  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

the  next  morning.  In  crossing  a  little  stream  on  my  return, 
I  got  my  boots  badly  soiled  with  clay.  As  we  were  about  to 
appear  for  inspection  on  Sabbath  morning,  I  was  compelled 
to  black  the  boots,  and  had  just  completed  the  polish  on  one 
of  them  when  the  ominous  music  of  the  long  roll  and  the 
still  more  terrible  crash  of  musketry  fell  on  my  ear.  There 
was  so  sharp  a  contrast  in  the  appearance  of  my  pedal  ex 
tremities  that  I  concluded  to  polish  the  other  boot,  and  hav 
ing  done  so  placed  my  effects  in  an  army  wagon  just  in  time 
to  escape  capture. 

On  joining  the  command,  I  said  to  the  lieutenant-colonel, 
"The  rebels  are  coming  upon  you  two  lines  deep  in  the  woods 
yonder."  "O,  no,  chaplain,"  he  replied,  "I  guess 'tis  only  de 
skirmish  line;"  to  which  remark  I  answered,  "You  will  soon 
see  the  skirmishers" — and  he  did.  Our  commander  had  ex 
hausted  military  skill  in  locating  the  regiment  where  it  had 
the  least  possible  defence,  and  where  the  enemy  would  have 
the  best  opportunity  to  destroy  it.  Observing  the  disadvan 
tages  of  our  position,  I  suggested  to  the  colonel  the  advisa 
bility  of  retiring  behind  the  ridge,  where  we  would  be  less 
exposed  to  the  enemy;  but  the  only  reply  was  a  scornful 
look.  Shortly  after,  the  terrible  fire  opened  in  earnest,  our 
brave  boys  standing  firmly  against  fearful  odds. 

Surgeon  E.  O.  F.  Roler,  whose  name  is  to  this  day  as  "oint 
ment  poured  forth,"  said  to  me:  "Chaplain,  I  want  you  to 
take  charge  of  our  ambulances."  Here  was  a  task  that  re 
quired  the  exercise  of  the  best  judgment  that  I  possessed. 
After  locating  the  ambulances  behind  a  ridge  as  near  the  line 
as  was  compatible  with  safety,  I  hastened  down  the  creek 
and  found  a  way  out  over  the  hills.  Returning  thence,  I  or 
dered  the  litter  bearers  to  follow  me,  and  led  the  way  towards 
the  front.  We  had  gone  but  a  little  distance  when  we  came 
upon  the  first  of  our  dead  that  we  had  seen  —  a  man  whose 
head  had  been  torn  off  by  a  shell.  Lest  this  spectacle 
should  terrify  the  litter-bearers,  I  seemed  not  to  notice  it,  but 
with  a  "forward,  men,"  stepped  over  the  body  and  on  to  our 
work.  Then  down  the  creek  came  rushing  one  of  our  cap 
tains,  as  though  the  fiends  were  after  him.  He  was  a  re 
doubtable  warrior — in  camp  —  and  before  the  battle,  the  only 


THE    BATTLE    OF    SHILOH.  445 

brave  man  in  the  regiment.  In  a  voice  of  profoundest  sym 
pathy,  I  hailed  him  with,  "O,  captain,  are  you  wounded?" 
He  threw  his  hands  wildly  into  the  air,  exclaiming,  "Oh!  oh!! 
oh!!!  The  regiment  is  all  broken  to  pieces!  Oh-h-h!"  and 
on  like  a  race-horse  he  sped  for  the  landing.  The  dead  man 
in  the  path,  the  shells  crashing  through  the  timber,  and  last 
of  all  the  racing  captain's  report,  were  too  much  for  the 
nerves  of  my  command,  and  when  I  turned  about  four  of  the 
six  were  not. 

I  observed  that  the  regiment  had  been  ordered  back  to 
the  ridge  of  which  I  have  spoken,  and  turning  to  the  two 
brave  men  who  followed  me,  I  said:  "Some  of  our  wounded 
are  probably  lying  yonder  on  the  hill  between  the  two  armies. 
It  is  a  dangerous  undertaking,  but  will  you  follow  me  to  the 
rescue?"  Like  the  true  men  that  they  were,  they  consented. 
As  we  neared  the  summit  of  the  hill,  however,  I  noticed  that 
the  distance  between  the  litter  and  myself  widened  very  per 
ceptibly,  and  it  was  soon  manifest  that  my  command  were 
wiser  than  their  commander.  A  musket  ball  hissed  past  my 
left  ear;  another  grazed  my  left  breast;  a  third  and  a  fourth 
whistled  by.  I  looked  before  me,  and  lo!  I  was  face  to  face 
with  a  rebel  regiment!  I  presume  it  is  needless  to  say  that  I 
ordered  a  vigorous  retreat  and  requested  my  feet  to  convey 
me  to  the  bottom  of  the  hill  in  short  order.  My  litter-bear 
ers,  having  promised  to  follow  me,  could  not  conscientiously 
advance  further  upon  the  rebel  army,  and  throwing  the  litter 
into  the  air  bore  down  upon  their  fleet-footed  leader  with  a 
speed  that  lightning  might  have  envied. 

On  reaching  a  point  opposite  the  left  flank  of  the  regi 
ment,  I  discovered  that  by  standing  near  the  edge  of  the 
ravine,  I  could  direct  the  wounded,  who  were  running  the 
gauntlet  of  rebel  bullets  as  they  came  down  to  the  ravine, 
how  to  leap  into  it  and  find  shelter  behind  its  banks  until 
they  reached  the  ambulances,  or  made  their  way  to  the  land 
ing.  In  the  performance  of  this  task,  I  was  sheltered  by  a 
tree  that  was  inconveniently  small;  but,  drawing  my  body 
into  the  smallest  possible  compass,  I  stood  while  the  rebel 
sharp-shooters  planted  perhaps  forty  bullets  in  the  tree. 

At  length  the  ambulances  were  filled  with  the  wounded, 


44-6  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS    INFANTRY. 

and  it  became  my  duty  to  conduct  them  to  the  landing.  I 
had  found  a  horse  without  a  rider,  and  mounting  led  the  way. 
I  told  the  drivers  that  we  should  be  badly  exposed  to  shells 
when  we  mounted  the  hill,  but  that  they  must  follow  me. 
Two  of  them  obeyed,  but  upon  reaching  the  river  I  learned 
to  my  astonishment  that  when  the  third  had  come  to  the 
trying  point,  he  had  cut  his  team  loose  and  escaped  through 
the  ravines,  leaving  the  wounded  to  the  mercy  of  the  enemy. 
Fortunately  they  were  able  to  make  their  way  down  to  the 
gunboats,  and  were  found  at  a  later  time. 

At  the  landing  a  most  appalling  scene  was  presented. 
Five  thousand  soldiers,  I  presume,  were  on  the  bluffs,  and 
more  were  coming.  Every  moment  the  line  at  the  front  was 
growing  thinner,  and  it  seemed  that  the  fate  of  the  country 
depended  upon  our  having  immediate  aid.  I  rode  to  the 
crest  of  the  bluff  and  saw  the  head  of  Buell's  army  emerging 
from  the  woods  across  the  river,  but  time  that  seemed  ages 
must  elapse  before  they  could  be  made  available.  Of  Gen 
eral  Grant's  medical  director,  who  by  chance  rode  by,  I  ob 
tained  a  drink  of  brandy,  and  being  totally  unaccustomed  to 
stimulants,  it  immediately  gave  me  temporary  strength.  This 
was  all  put  forth  in  speeches  to  inspire  the  return  to  the  front 
of  the  discouraged  and  stampeded  soldiers.  Never,  perhaps, 
have  I  spoken  with  such  power,  for  the  tremendous  issues  at 
stake  gave  an  inspiration  such  as  seldom  comes  to  man.  I 
rode  under  an  overhanging  bluff  where  hundreds  of  these 
frightened  men  were  sitting,  and  as  I  spoke  a  soldier,  whose 
arm  was  dangling  by  his  side,  burst  into  tears  as  he  exclaimed, 
"My  God!  boys,  how  can  you  stand  it?"  Thus  going  from 
group  to  group,  at  last  a  movement  was  effected  which  re 
sulted  in  adding  large  numbers  to  the  line  which  on  Sunday 
evening  saved  the  battle. 

The  whole  line  having  been  pressed  towards  the  river, 
became  so  contracted  that  our  entire  artillery  remaining  was 
brought  into  action.  This  with  the  gunboats  on  our  left 
made  fearful  havoc  in  the  Confederate  ranks,  and  speedily 
silenced  the  rebel  yell.  So  numerous  were  the  wounded  that 
hundreds  were  strewn  upon  the  ground  without  a  covering. 
Upon  appealing  in  vain  for  tents  at  an  adjacent  camp,  I  gath- 


THE    BATTLE    OF    SHILOH.  447 

ered  a  little  company  of  soldiers  and,  sword  in  hand,  forcibly 
took  them,  and  with  them  nine  camp-kettles.  This  proceed 
ing  may  not  have  harmonized  with  the  letter  of  the  gospel, 
but  I  praised  God  while  the  tents  were  erected  over  the 
sufferers  and  nourishing  food  was  prepared  for  them  in  the 
kettles. 

The  whole  of  Sunday  night  was  occupied  in  assisting  Dr. 
Roler,  supplying  the  wounded  with  nourishment,  praying 
with  the  dying  and  carrying  out  the  dead.  After  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  I  heard  that  some  of  the  wounded  of  the 
Fifty-fifth  were  lying  near  the  river.  I  begged  Dr.  Roler  to 
let  me  go  to  them  alone;  but  although  he  was  ready  to  faint 
from  the  terrible  toil  of  the  day  and  night,  he  insisted  on 
accompanying  me.  On  reaching  them,  we  found  the  group 
that  had  been  deserted  by  the  ambulance  driver.  One  of 
them  was  young  Ennis  from  near  Elmwood,  Illinois,  who  had 
been  converted  in  a  meeting  held  before  the  war.  Wounded 
painfully  in  the  ankle  joint  by  a  fragment  of  shell,  his  suffer 
ing  was  extreme;  but  the  triumph  of  his  soul  was  so  great 
that  he  kept  his  fellow  sufferers  in  good  cheer  through  the 
darkness  and  rain  of  that  night  of  agony  on  the  Tennessee. 
Dear  boy !  He  was  not  again  seen  in  the  ranks  nor  at  the 
home  of  his  mother;  but  he  had  "  chosen  that  good  part 
which  shall  not  be  taken  away." 

Among  the  wounded  on  the  ridge,  were  numerous  rebels, 
some  of  whom  were  recently  from  New  Orleans.  One  mor 
tally  wounded  besought  me  to  commit  him  to  God  in  prayer, 
confessing  his  sins  with  bitter  tears.  He  found  peace  in 
believing  and  welcomed  death  with  a  smile.  Others  less 
seriously  injured,  but  whose  lives  depended  on  the  care  which 
we  gave  them,  were  insolent  beyond  expression.  One  of 
their  number  who  had  only  lost  a  finger  while  we  were  pre 
paring  his  food  remarked:  "There  is  no  use,  gentlemen,  the 
last  Confederate  will  die  in  the  ditch,  but  we  will  have  our 
rights."  The  veins  in  the  neck  of  the  little  German  sergeant 
helping  me  began  to  swell,  until  at  length  he  laid  his  hand 
on  a  sword  with  the  remark:  "Well,  captain,  if  this  is  so  we 
might  as  well  begin  right  here."  It  is,  perhaps,  unnecessary 


FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

to  say  that  the  valiant  Southerner  instantly  begged  pardon, 
and  became  as  meek  as  a  lamb. 

On  Monday  morning,  fearing  that  the  regiment  had  been 
unsupplied  with  food,  I  went  on  board  a  supply-boat,  and  by 
the  vehemence  of  my  demands  obtained  a  sack  full  of  hams 
with  which  I  hastened  to  the  line  where  the  brave  boys  had 
lain  all  night  in  the  rain.  They  were  already  in  motion,  but 
I  distributed  the  meat  to  them.  I  could  not  hold  back  my 
tears  when  I  learned  that  they  had  received  no  food  since 
breakfast  on  Sunday  morning.  Not  a  complaint  escaped 
their  lips,  however,  but  they  looked  haggard  and  very  weary. 
I  returned  to  my  post  with  emotions  which,  perhaps,  would 
not  bear  a  strict  religious  justification;  but  God  did  not 
rebuke  me  for  He  knew  their  condition  and  remembered  that 
I  was  dust. 

The  victory  of  Monday  was  easy,  for  we  were  re-enforced 
by  Buell's  army  and  the  enemy  had  been  repulsed  on  Sunday 
night.  The  want  of  care  for  the  wounded  gave  me  the  keen 
est  agony  that  I  have  ever  endured.  Many  perished  for 
want  of  nourishment  who  might  have  lived  if  food  had  been 
brought  in  time.  There  were  faithful  surgeons  who  did  what 
they  could,  but  many  loyal  men  perished  as  the  result  of  the 
reckless  cutting  and  carving  by  adventurers,  and  the  wanton 
neglect  of  others  who,  instead  of  caring  for  the  sufferers, 
spent  their  time  in  riding  for  amusement  or  seeking  relics  on 
the  field. 

The  arrival  of  Governor  Yates  with  his  boat-load  of  sani 
tary  goods,  brought  joy  and  comfort  to  thousands  of  suffer 
ers  and,  in  time,  the  sick  and  wounded  were  taken  by  trans 
ports  to  various  hospitals  or  their  homes.  Great  suffering 
resulted  from  the  unnecessary  delay  of  the  army  in  the  woods 
of  Tennessee.  Camped  amid  half-buried  dead,  and  sur 
rounded  by  the  decaying  bodies  of  animals,  the  entire  army 
became  weakened  by  disease.  In  the  outrageously  slow  and 
timid  advance  upon  Corinth,  many  soldiers  contracted  dis 
eases  from  which  they  never  recovered.  As  a  chaplain  I 
found  a  wide  field  of  labor  among  the  sick,  and  was  a  witness 
of  the  blessed  results  of  the  religion  of  Christ  both  in  living 
and  dying.  Throughout  the  war,  I  never  found  one  real 


AT    LA    GRANGE.  449 

Christian  Union  soldier  who  did  not  have  triumph  in  death, 
and  on  the  other  hand,  I  never  knew  a  Confederate  Christian 
who  did  not  find  it  necessary  to  confess  and  make  some 
settlements  that  he  might  have  peace  in  the  dying  hour. 
To  my  mind,  this  is  one  of  the  many  indications  that  God 
was  on  the  side  of  the  Union  army. 

After  the  fall  of  Corinth  we  emerged  into  a  beautiful  and 
healthful  country  near  La  Grange,  Tennessee.  At  that  place 
I  accompanied  a  squad  of  men  outside  the  lines  in  search  of 
food,  and  on  reaching  the  house  of  a  rebel  soldier  requested 
the  lady  to  provide  us  with  a  dinner.  She  reluctantly  set 
forth  some  corn-bread  and  buttermilk,  which  was  a  royal  ban 
quet  to  us.  As  we  rose  from  the  table,  I  presented  her  with 
fifty  cents  in  Federal  currency,  and  one  by  one  the  soldiers 
followed  my  example,  until  the  last,  who  handed  her  a  five- 
dollar  bill  on  the  bank  of  La  Grange.  I  warned  her  that  the 
paper  was  worthless,  but  might  have  spared  my  pains  as  my 
kindness  only  evoked  the  remark:  "I  think  I  know  my  own 
business,  sir."  She  returned  four  dollars  and  a  half  in  green 
backs  as  change  to  the  boy,  who  by  this  clever  business  stroke 
had  cleared  just  that  much  money  in  addition  to  his  dinner. 
To  my  rebuke  for  his  dishonesty,  he  replied  that  "he  liked 
to  gratify  these  secesh  by  supplying  them  with  their  own 
money." 

At  another  time  Doctor  Smith  and  I  went  beyond  the 
lines  in  search  of  food — for  the  regiment  suffered  much  from 
hunger  at  this  place.  On  reaching  the  pickets  we  were 
warned  of  the  presence  of  rebel  scouts  in  the  country,  and 
gladly  accepted  an  escort  of  three  Eighth  Missouri  men,  who 
rode  in  the  ambulance  with  the  doctor.  Being  mounted  I 
led  the  way,  and  on  reaching  a  plantation  observed  a  man  in 
citizen's  clothes  ride  from  the  house  so  as  to  avoid  contact 
with  me.  The  owner  of  the  place  averred  most  solemnly 
that  he  had  been  stripped  of  all  that  he  had,  but  thought  that 
we  might  find  provisions  by  going  to  the  southeast  —  the  route 
taken  by  the  man  who  had  just  left.  I  rode  on,  the  ambu 
lance  following.  Reaching  the  borders  of  a  woodland  I  was 
suddenly  confronted  by  a  horseman  armed  with  a  carbine. 
I  had  left  my  revolver  in  camp,  and  had  no  protection  be- 
29 


45°  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

yond  a  trifling  little  six-shooter,  loaned  me  by  one  of  the 
pickets.  I  presume  that  this  will  account  for  the  fact  that  I 
suddenly  found  it  necessary  to  adjust  my  saddle,  and  when  I 
dismounted  it  was  so  as  to  have  the  horse  between  me  and 
the  man  with  the  carbine.  "Why  don't  you  come  on?"  asked 
my  friend  in  the  road;  but  my  saddle  needed  so  much  atten 
tion  that  I  could  not  reply.  In  the  meanwhile  the  rebel 
glanced  occasionally  into  the  timber  as  if  there  were  others 
in  concealment,  and  I  became  exceedingly  uneasy.  Doctor 
Smith  had  paused  at  a  cooper-shop  a  little  distance  off,  with 
the  ambulance,  and  the  guards  were  so  absorbed  in  the  doc 
tor's  fun  that  their  attention  was  not  attracted  to  my  peril. 

Hitherto  I  had  kept  my  eye  upon  the  adversary  in  front, 
but  becoming  restless  at  the  delay,  I  turned  my  head  and  re 
quested  the  guards  to  come  on.  Scarce  had  my  eyes  left  the 
rebel  when  a  bullet  from  the  carbine  went  whistling  past  my 
head  and  the  rebel's  horse  was  doing  his  best  to  carry  his 
rider  beyond  danger.  I  sprang  out  into  the  road  trying  to 
pull  my  revolver  from  its  leather  case,  but  a  minie  ball  from 
my  body-guard  reminded  me  that  two  others  were  to  follow, 
and  that  I  was  in  range,  so  I  stepped  aside  to  give  the  brave 
Missourians  a  chance  at  their  mark.  The  doctor  being  star 
tled  forbade  their  firing,  and  much  to  my  disgust  the  rebel 
escaped  unhurt.  An  immediate  retreat  was  ordered  and  am 
bulance,  body-guard  and  all  went  dashing  towards  the  camp 
at  fearful  speed.  It  seemed  altogether  likely  that  a  force 
sufficiently  strong  for  our  capture  was  secreted  in  the  woods, 
and  that  we  were  well  on  our  way  towards  a  Confederate 
prison.  It  was  afterwards  learned  that  the  man  who  faced 
me  in  the  road  was  a  prominent  rebel  scout. 

After  varied  experiences  we  found  ourselves  in  a  pleasant 
camp  in  Memphis,  Tennessee,  where  the  regiment  had  time 
for  rest  and  recreation.  Despite  the  immoral  influences  of 
the  city,  a  band  of  true  Christian  men  from  the  different 
companies  was  never  wanting  at  the  hour  of  prayer.  Many 
slaves  made  free  by  the  war  came  to  us  for  refuge,  and  their 
religious  services  were  often  glorious.  They  seemed  to  feel 
that  President  Lincoln's  life  was  in  danger,  and  rarely  omit 
ted  the  mention  of  his  name  in  their  petitions.  Colonel 


DEATH    OF    CAPTAIN    SCHLEICH.  451 

Stuart  listened  with  me  on  the  outside  of  a  cabin,  one  moon 
lit  night,  to  a  prayer  from  an  old  Mississippi  bondsman  that 
can  never  be  forgotten.  After  a  recital  of  his  wrongs  that 
would  have  melted  a  heart  of  stone,  he  thanked  God  for  the 
army  of  deliverance  and  poured  out  his  soul  in  a  plea  that 
Mr.  Lincoln  might  be  spared  until  the  people  were  free. 
Colonel  Stuart's  frame  trembled,  and  tears  rolled  down  his 
cheeks  as  he  turned  to  me  with  the  words:  "Lord!  chaplain, 
did  you  ever  hear  the  like  of  that?" 

On  Saturday,  December  20,  1862,  we  boarded  the  steamer 
Westmoreland  bound  for  Vicksburg,  and  landed  on  the  twen 
ty-sixth  of  the  same  month.  Captain  Schleich,  who  suc 
ceeded  me  in  command  of  Company  F,  took  breakfast  with 
my  mess  the  next  morning.  I  remember  well  that  on  rising 
from  the  meal  he  remarked:  "Boys,  I  am  glad  I  ate  with  you 
this  morning,  for  I  am  going  out  here  to  be  killed  by  these 
rebels,  and  I  want  you  to  bear  witness  that  I  desire  to  be 
buried  here  on  this  sand  ridge."  At  Memphis  I  had  lodged 
in  a  house,  as  our  tents  were  poor  and  it  rained  frequently; 
and  on  the  last  night  of  our  stay  the  captain  slept  with  me. 
He  was  restless  in  his  sleep  and  in  the  morning  apologized 
for  the  fact,  saying:  "I  dreamed  that  I  stood  facing  a  rebel 
about  fifty  yards  away  when  he  shot  me  through  the  heart, 
and  as  he  shot  I  sprang  up  in  the  bed,  and  I  fear,  greatly  dis 
turbed  you."  So  profoundly  did  the  dream  impress  him  that 
he  seemed  like  a  different  man  until  we  reached  the  Yazoo. 

On  December  28th  I  was  caring  for  some  wounded  at  a 
distance  from  the  Fifty-fifth,  when  I  was  strongly  impressed 
to  go  to  the  regiment.  On  reaching  it  Captain  Schleich  was 
forming  his  company  to  go  to  the  front.  As  they  marched 
away  I  spoke  to  him,  urging  the  utmost  caution  as  the  trees 
were  overhung  with  moss  and  the  enemy  secreted  behind  the 
levee.  I  addressed  the  men  also  as  they  passed  by,  and  then 
returned  toward  my  post  of  duty;  but  before  half  way  there, 
was  drawn  by  an  irresistible  impulse  to  rejoin  the  regiment. 
On  reaching  the  spot  where  I  had  just  parted  with  him,  I  met 
the  lifeless  body  of  Captain  Schleich,  borne  by  his  comrades 
whose  hearts  were  aching  and  whose  eyes  were  streaming 
with  tears.  As  in  his  dream  he  had  stood  facing  a  rebel  sol- 


452  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS    INFANTRY. 

dier  about  fifty  yards  away,  just  long  enough  to  be  shot 
through  the  heart,  and  the  spirit  of  my  brave  and  beautiful 
captain  had  gone  back  to  God  who  gave  it.  So  quickly  did 
death  come  that  he  fell  into  the  arms  of  Sergeant  Henry 
Haney,  only  crying,  "I  am  shot!"  He  had  few  equals  in  in 
tellect  and  all  those  qualities  which  form  true  manhood. 
His  presence  was  sunshine,  and  in  our  darkest  days  his  good 
cheer  had  given  comfort  and  inspiration.  Beautiful  captain, 
I  shall  see  you  again  when  the  throne  comes  down! 

In  the  gloom  and  depression  of  the  morning  I  said  to 
some  comrades,  "Boys,  it  would  be  worth  a  thousand  dollars 
to  see  Morgan  L.  Smith."  To  our  surprise  and  joy,  in  a  few 
minutes  the  general  rode  through  our  lines  towards  the  pick 
ets.  He  was  cautioned  with  reference  to  the  sharp-shooters 
as  he  passed,  but  on  he  went.  In  less  time  than  it  takes  to 
write  it,  he  returned.  We  noticed  that  his  face  was  pale,  and 
on  looking  again  I  saw  blood  on  his  stirrup.  He  passed  in 
silence,  but  turning  and  looking  at  us  cried,  "Boys,  give  them 

h 1!"  Among  the  very  bravest  generals  of  the  war,  he 

had  a  natural  power  to  inspire  men  which  was  wonderful. 
From  the  wound  received  that  day  he  never  fully  recovered. 

The  deep  night  of  the  Yazoo  was  succeeded  by  a  bright 
day  at  the  Post  of  Arkansas.  Our  troops  had  nearly  made 
the  circuit  of  the  enemy's  works,  when  darkness  came  on. 
To  divert  the  Confederate  commander's  attention  from  the 
real  design,  a  detachment  of  men  was  ordered  forward  to 
open  fire  upon  the  rebel  works.  Scarce  had  the  firing  begun 
when  a  great  rebel  gun  threw  some  shells  over  us.  My  horse 
was  fastened  near,  but  so  that  he  could  not  step  on  me  as  I 
lay  on  my  blankets,  and  becoming  excited  by  the  glare  and 
roar  of  the  cannon,  opened  fire  on  the  rebel  works  with  his 
heels;  and  I,  unable  to  get  away  owing  to  the  vigor  of  his 
movements,  lay  there  in  doubt  as  to  whether  the  rebel  shot 
or  the  heels  of  the  Union  horse  were  the  most  dangerous  to 
me.  The  next  day,  before  the  regiment  was  engaged,  I  rode 
down  to  the  gunboats  just  in  time  to  see  a  sergeant  train  his 
gun  on  a  big  cannon  in  the  fort.  I  could  follow  the  shot  with 
my  eye,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  third  ball  hit  the 


AT    ARKANSAS    POST.  453 

gun  about  half  way  from  the  muzzle  and  end  its  mission  of 
death  forever. 

Knowing  that  fearful  work  was  going  on  at  our  right  flank 
I  hastened  thither  to  assist  the  wounded,  and  never  were  my 
offices  needed  more.  I  found  scores  of  soldiers  bleeding  in 
the  woods  and  no  ambulances  near  nor  any  one  to  care  for 
them.  There  were  bullets  in  those  woods,  and  the  com 
mander  of  the  ambulance  corps,  being  a  prudent  man,  had 
secured  a  safe  retreat  nearly  a  mile  away.  On  complaining 
to  McClernand's  medical  director,  I  received  orders  to  bring 
up  the  ambulance  corps,  and  that  prudent  gentleman  came 
with  his  train  on  a  gallop  at  the  heels  of  a  new  commander. 
The  wounded  had  scarcely  been  loaded  in  when  the  long, 
glad  shout  of  victory  came  up  all  along  our  lines,  telling  that 
six  thousand  rebel  soldiers  were  in  our  hands. 

After  a  season  of  gladness  I  went  in  search  of  the  wound 
ed,  who  by  this  time  had  been  conducted  to  the  boats.  I 
boarded  a  large  steamer  and  found  two  rows  of  wounded 
soldiers  lying  the  length  of  the  cabin,  totally  without  care. 
Their  bandages  wet  with  blood  had  become  dry,  and  the 
wounds  were  inflamed.  In  utter  amazement  I  inquired  as  to 
the  cause  of  this,  and  found  that  the  surgeon  in  charge  was 
drunk.  Procuring  a  vessel  of  water  to  moisten  their  wounds 
I  went  the  entire  circuit  of  the  cabin,  and  in  my  rounds  saw 
many  who  were  marked  for  death.  Not  a  complaint  did  I 
hear,  however,  from  all  that  throng  of  sufferers;  but  there 
were  notes  of  triumph  from  a  few  Christian  heroes  there, 
which  almost  alleviated  the  horror  of  the  situation.  The 
bathing  their  wounds  was  all  that  I  could  do  to  ease  their 
sufferings,  and  I  then  went  around  a  second  time  to  minister 
to  the  souls  of  the  dying.  I  gave  an  appropriate  tract  to  the 
nearest  comrade  of  each  mortally  wounded  man,  requesting 
him  to  read  it  quietly  to  his  neighbor. 

While  thus  employed  a  German  captain  came  in  and  found 
three  of  his  own  men  in  a  neglected  condition.  Looking  at 
me  with  flaming  eyes,  supposing  that  I  was  in  command  of 
the  boat,  he  began  to  curse  me.  I  quietly  waited  until  he 
had  finished,  and  then  informed  him  of  my  relation  to  the 
wounded.  To  his  profuse  apologies,  I  interposed:  "Captain, 


454  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

if  what  you  have  said  has  relieved  your  mind  I  rejoice  with 
you,  for  the  case  is  a  desperate  one."  I  then  sought  the 
drunken  surgeon,  intending  to  end  his  debauch  by  an  im 
mersion  in  the  river.  Failing  to  find  him,  however,  I  hast 
ened  to  General  Stuart's  headquarters  and  besought  him  to 
go  to  Sherman  at  once  and  enter  complaint.  To  end  my  im 
portunity  he  assented,  but  feeling  intuitively  that  he  would 
not  keep  his  word,  I  took  it  upon  myself  to  go.  The  general 
was  evidently  tired  with  my  impertinence,  and  turning  upon 
his  heel  responded  to  me,  "D n  it,  chaplain,  I  am  not  re 
sponsible  for  the  neglect  of  the  doctors."  I  was  as  excited 
as  General  Sherman,  and  answered,  "General,  I  am  aware  of 
that;  but  you  command  all  the  doctors  in  this  army,  and  if 
this  is  not  righted  I  will  publish  the  whole  affair  if  it  costs 
me  my  head."  It  was  not  long  until  there  was  such  com 
motion  among  the  surgeons  as  there  is  among  the  rats  when 
a  house  burns  down;  and  it  was  but  a  few  hours  before  the 
sufferers  in  that  cabin  were  in  a  clean  hospital  boat,  with 
wounds  carefully  dressed  and  comforts  assured;  and  I  wept 
in  the  gladness  of  my  heart  at  what  God  had  done  by  my 
hand. 

At  Young's  Point,  a  few  weeks  after,  I  went  to  General 
Sherman  to  get  his  signature  to  some  papers.  He  recognized 
me,  and  without  looking  at  the  papers  ordered  his  adjutant 
to  sign  them.  Turning  to  me  he  said:  "Chaplain  Haney, 
whatever  I  can  do  consistently  to  aid  you,  I  will  gladly  do 
until  the  end  of  the  war."  Grand  old  hero  that  he  was  —  as 
he  is  today  —  he  felt  that  I  was  right  in  my  appeal  for  the 
wounded  though  I  had  overstepped  military  discipline. 

We  suffered  nothing  from  battle  at  Young's  Point,  but  the 
mortality  among  our  soldiers  was  terrible  to  contemplate. 
The  papers  of  the  opposition  at  the  North  were  full  of  trea 
son,  while  the  whole  nation  behind  us  appeared  absorbed  in 
the  pursuit  of  pleasure  or  money.  This  was  the  time  when 
from  the  soldiers'  stand-point  the  day  grew  dark,  as  if  God 
in  displeasure  at  our  national  apathy  had  resolved  upon  the 
downfall  of  the  Republic.  To  get  relief  to  my  own  soul  and 
to  move  the  Christian  power  of  the  North  to  humiliation, 
fasting  and  prayer,  I  resolved  to  address  several  Christian 


THE    BLIND    BOY.  455 

ministers  whom  I  had  formerly  known.  After  weeks  of  wait 
ing  an  answer  came  from  one  of  these,  and  I  sat  down  with 
unspeakable  gladness  to  drink  in  its  contents.  "Yours  re 
ceived,"  so  the  writer  said.  "Very  glad  to  hear  from  you.  I 
learn  that  you  are  going  up  the  Red  River.  I  am  now  en 
gaged  in  the  hedge  business  and  want  you  to  get  me  some 
seed."  In  the  bitterness  of  my  disappointment  and  con 
tempt  I  could  only  think  that  had  I  possessed  hedge  seed  by 
the  boat-load,  he  should  have  had  none  of  it. 

While  we  were  halted  a  little  while  at  the  village  of  Ray 
mond,  I  seized  the  opportunity  to  visit  the  wounded  that 
crowded  a  little  brick  church  not  far  distant.  Observing  a 
beautiful  boy  whose  eyes  were  covered  with  bandages,  I  in 
quired  as  to  his  injury,  and  learned  that  a  minie  ball  had 
entered  his  left  temple,  cutting  the  optic  nerve  and  coming 
out  at  his  right  eye.  "I  suppose,"  I  said  to  him,  "the  sun  is 
blotted  out  forever  to  you."  "Yes,"  came  quickly  in  reply, 
"but  I  have  light  within."  I  was  profoundly  moved  that  one 
so  young  and  beautiful  should  be  thus  mutilated,  and  rejoined, 
"It  is  sad  indeed,  this  prospect  of  walking  many  years  in 
darkness."  "But,  sir,"  said  he,  "I  have  light  within  and  it  is 
glorious."  From  another  who  was  lying  wounded  in  the 
church  at  that  time,  I  learned  a  few  years  since  that  the  sub 
sequent  life  of  the  blind  boy  was  a  continual  triumph  through 
his  Master.  If  I  had  ever  doubted  my  religion,  such  con 
quests  of  faith  would  have  ended  that  unbelief  forever. 

During  the  long  and  painful  siege  of  Vicksburg  I  was 
much  taxed  with  the  hospital  work  and  care  of  our  own  regi 
ment,  but  also  gave  much  time  to  another  Illinois  battalion, 
the  chaplain  of  which  had  resigned.  The  health  of  the  men 
had  given  way,  and  utter  discouragement  was  everywhere 
prevailing.  Deaths  occurred  every  day,  and  each  man  who 
became  sick  expected  a  fatal  termination  of  his  disease.  I 
resorted  to  every  innocent  measure  to  restore  their  spirits 
and  fill  them  with  hope.  I  sang  and  prayed  with  them;  I 
laughed  and  related  funny  anecdotes,  and  by  word  and  work 
encouraged  cheerfulness  until  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
my  efforts  in  a  measure  successful.  My  daily  visits  very 
nearly  cost  me  my  life,  however,  for  their  camp  was  situated 


FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS   INFANTRY. 

in  a  deep,  unhealthy  ravine,  and  so  full  of  malaria  that  I 
sometimes  wonder  at  my  escape. 

About  this  time  I  witnessed  a  beautiful  incident.  On  en 
tering  the  hospital  one  day  I  saw  a  young  soldier  from  New 
York  reading  a  well-worn  copy  of  the  New  Testament.  He 
had  been  taken  up  from  the  streets  when  a  ragged  urchin  by 
a  pious  school  teacher,  educated  and  brought  to  Christ,  and 
now  as  he  lay  wounded  sought  consolation  in  the  word.  The 
next  day  I  found  him  again  engaged  with  his  testament,  and 
received  the  facts  of  his  history  from  his  own  lips.  His  eyes 
filled  with  tears  at  mention  of  his  teacher.  "O,"  said  he,  "if 
she  could  only  know  how  glad  I  am  now  that  I  am  dying  for 
my  country,  that  she  brought  me  to  Christ."  As  I  came  in 
the  third  morning  his  eyes  were  set  and  he  seemed  uncon 
scious.  He  gave  no  answer  to  my  greeting,  and  the  nurse 
informed  me  that  he  had  not  noticed  anything  since  sunrise. 
I  took  the  little  testament  which  was  carefully  laid  against 
his  left  breast  and  passed  it  before  his  vision.  That  moment 
his  eyes  began  to  follow  it,  and  then  looking  me  in  the  face 
he  glanced  towards  his  breast,  indicating  that  he  wished  to 
die  with  the  word  of  God  upon  his  heart.  I  leaned  over  his 
form  and  said,  "My  boy,  you  love  this  book;"  and  as  he  died 
he  whispered,  "Yes,  O  yes!"  I  placed  it  again  over  his  heart, 
and  his  happy  spirit  went  triumphantly  unto  its  reward. 

At  Camp  Sherman  we  prepared  as  soon  as  possible  for 
regular  religious  services.  At  the  meetings  many  of  the 
men  were  happily  converted.  One  incident  of  this  period 
made  an  indelible  impression  upon  my  memory.  At  the  con 
clusion  of  a  discourse  upon  the  experimental  evidences  of 
the  Christian  religion,  a  confirmed  sceptic  came  to  me,  and 
with  a  depth  of  emotion  that  brought  the  perspiration  in 
beads  upon  his  face,  remarked,  "Chaplain  Haney,  this  is  the 
most  wonderful  thing  that  I  ever  heard  of."  "Why,  my 
friend,"  said  I,  "what  is  the  matter?"  The  sermon  had  been 
an  attempt  to  show  that  the  most  illiterate  were  capable  of 
exercising  a  rational  faith  in  the  Christian  religion,  and  re 
lated  almost  entirely  to  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
within  the  human  breast.  I  began  with  the  first  ray  of  divine 
conviction,  and  tracing  as  best  I  could  the  subsequent  steps 


AT  CHATTANOOGA.  457 

in  the  holy  way,  concluded  with  the  profounder  experiences 
of  the  mature  Christian  character.  Behind  the  sceptic  sat 
an  old  negro  who,  as  each  successive  step  was  explained  from 
the  pulpit,  ejaculated,  "Dat's  so!  Bress  de  Lord,  dat's  so!" 
This  was  the  mystery  that  confounded  my  sceptical  friend, 
and  he  continued:  "That  stupid  old  slave  could  no  more 
have  made  the  points  in  your  sermon  than  he  could  have 
made  the  world;  but  the  moment  you  brought  them  out  he 
saw  that  he  had  a  corresponding  experience  in  his  own  heart, 
and  from  this  time  on,  chaplain,  you  may  count  me  in  to  be 
a  Christian."  His  name  was  Samuel  Bunnel,  and  he  belonged 
to  Company  D  of  the  Twelfth  Indiana.  In  February,  1887, 
I  learned  from  one  of  his  old  comrades  that  he  was  converted 
before  reaching  his  tent,  and  as  the  result  of  this  wonderful 
change  in  heart  and  life,  brought  many  of  his  fellow  soldiers 
to  the  cross.  In  less  than  twenty  days  from  his  conversion 
he  died  in  the  triumph  of  the  Gospel. 

Before  crossing  the  Tennessee  River  above  Chattanooga, 
we  had  a  service  of  prayer,  and  as  the  result  there  were  some 
in  those  boats  who  were  assured  of  protection,  although  en 
gaged  in  one  of  the  most  hazardous  undertakings  of  the  war. 
Others  were  not  so  confident.  I  remember  a  surgeon  fresh 
from  the  North  who  was  with  us.  Before  leaving  the  Chicka- 
mauga  his  face  blanched  and  his  knees  began  to  tremble  as 
he  said:  "As  soon  as  we  strike  the  river  we  shall  be  blown  to 
pieces."  As  his  fears  increased  his  body  bent  lower,  until  at 
length  he  lay  prone  with  his  face  to  the  bottom  of  the  boat. 
God's  hand  was  over  that  expedition,  however,  and  our  brave 
boys  landed  in  the  face  of  the  rebel  army  unnoticed  and  un 
hurt.  Soon  joy  filled  our  hearts,  as  from  boat  to  boat  the 
news  passed  on  that  the  rebel  pickets  had  been  captured 
without  the  firing  of  a  gun.  Hearing  this,  the  terror-stricken 
man  rose  up  and  made  a  sickly  attempt  to  yawn  as  though 
just  aroused  from  refreshing  slumber,  and  as  his  teeth  ceased 
to  chatter,  said,  "Well,  I've  had  quite  a  nap!" 

Our  little  brigade  was  soon  followed  by  Sherman's  entire 
army,  and  we  were  ready  to  attack  Bragg's  right  flank  at 
Missionary  Ridge.  As  we  were  advancing  upon  the  enemy's 
pickets  through  a  region  thickly  covered  with  underbrush,  I 


458  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

met  General  Giles  A.  Smith  who  had  advanced  beyond  his 
post  of  duty.  "Chaplain,"  said  he,  "if  I  were  you  I  would 
not  go  into  that  brush,  for  it  is  full  of  bullets."  I  heeded  his 
warning  and  he  retired  a  little  to  the  rear.  Here  he  stood 
facing  the  enemy,  when  he  was  so  severely  wounded  that  he 
never  fully  recovered.  A  gentleman,  a  patriot,  a  skilful  bri 
gade  commander,  may  his  name  be  revered  as  long  as  this 
country  endures! 

After  taking  the  first  hill,  we  were  ordered  to  the  foot  of 
the  second.  In  descending  we  were  exposed  to  a  storm  of 
shells  from  the  heights  beyond,  and  in  the  confusion  of  the 
moment  our  colonel  ordered  us  to  lie  down.  The  rebel  bat 
teries  could  not  have  had  a  more  inviting  mark,  and  shell 
after  shell  came  crashing  among  us  until  the  air  was  filled  with 
dust  and  smoke.  It  seemed  as  if  annihilation  was  before 
us,  and  knowing  that  a  few  rods  further  towards  the  enemy 
would  place  us  out  of  danger  from  artillery,  I  shouted,  "Col 
onel,  why  don't  you  take  the  men  to  the  foot  of  the  hill?" 
This  brought  an  order  to  march  forward,  and  when  out  of 
range  we  had  opportunity  to  reckon  up  our  loss.  It  is  diffi 
cult  to  say  whether  we  were  more  amazed  or  delighted  to 
find  that  but  three  had  been  wounded. 

On  returning  from  Knoxville,  Tennessee,  whither  Sherman 
had  been  sent  to  relieve  Burnside,  we  were  compelled  to  sub 
sist  on  the  country.  Our  colonel  had  not  detailed  a  sufficient 
foraging  party  to  supply  the  regiment.  One  night  I  met  the 
officers  of  the  line  coming  in  a  body  to  headquarters.  On 
inquiring  the  object  of  their  visit,  one  of  them  replied,  "We 

are  going  up  to  settle  with  that old  Swede.  Our  men 

have  marched  all  day  and  some  of  them  have  eaten  nothing 
since  yesterday."  Lest  trouble  should  result  from  the  stormy 
interview  which  I  saw  was  about  to  take  place,  I  prevailed 
upon  them  to  allow  me  to  speak  to  the  colonel  for  them. 
Finding  him  in  excellent  humor,  I  had  no  difficulty  in  getting 
his  permission  to  lead  a  foraging  party  the  next  day  and  cov 
enanted  to  supply  the  regiment  by  noon. 

That  night  the  soldiers  supped  on  faith,  and  in  faith  they 
slept.  In  the  morning  I  started  out,  with  Joe  Presson  as  my 
sergeant.  Arriving  at  a  beautiful  home,  we  were  met  by  the 


IN    EAST    TENNESSEE.  459 

father  and  mother  and  two  daughters.  In  reply  to  my  ques 
tions  the  father  said  that  they  were  Union  people  and  had 
three  sons  in  the  Federal  army.  Having  observed  that  nearly 
all  the  inhabitants  of  the  South  became  Unionists  in  the 
presence  of  our  soldiers,  I  continued  my  interrogations. 
Upon  this,  one  of  the  girls  brought  out  the  portraits  of  her 
three  brothers,  all  of  whom  were  dressed  in  Federal  uniforms, 
and  also  a  number  of  letters  from  them.  "There,"  said  she, 
and  the  tears  began  to  fall,  "look  at  these  pictures  and  read 
these  letters  if  you  don't  believe  that  my  brothers  are  in  the 
Union  army."  Presson  had  meanwhile  gone  through  the 
house  without  formality,  and  upon  returning  said:  "Chaplain, 
I  find  some  very  nice  bacon  here.  How  much  shall  I  take?" 
Of  course  under  the  circumstances  I  forbade  his  taking  any. 
As  he  turned  reluctantly  from  the  bacon,  as  well  as  from 
several  turkeys  upon  the  fence,  his  face  formed  a  picture  that 
rises  vividly  before  me  as  I  write. 

In  a  little  valley  which  we  soon  reached  I  heard  a  young 
man  say  to  his  mother,  "There  are  more  coming;  be  ready." 
I  learned  upon  approaching  the  woman  that  she  had  been 
sending  her  son  down  to  the  moving  column  since  morning 
inviting  hungry  soldiers  to  come  to  her  house  to  get  refresh 
ment.  After  her  cheerfully  giving  us  all  that  we  requested, 
I  sent  Presson  across  the  valley  to  get  further  supplies,  and  I 
entered  the  house.  "Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  you,"  I  said 
to  the  family,  "I  am  a  Methodist  preacher,  and  thought  I 
would  come  in  and  talk  with  you  about  Christ."  An  aged 
woman  sick  unto  death  was  lying  there  upon  a  couch;  but  on 
hearing  my  remark  she  sprang  up  in  bed  and  shouted  aloud, 
praising  God  that  she  was  permitted  to  see  a  Christian  minis 
ter  once  again. 

In  our  rambles  we  soon  came  upon  an  old  mill  and  in  it 
ground  a  quantity  of  corn  meal,  and  in  due  course  of  time 
we  returned  to  camp  with  bountiful  supplies.  The  varied  in 
cidents  of  this  expedition,  most  of  them  so  pleasant,  make 
its  memories  among  the  most  precious  to  me  of  any  of  the 
war. 

Passing  down  to  Tellico  Plains  we  crossed  a  beautiful 
mountain  stream.  I  noticed  among  our  pioneers  a  number 


460  FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

of  feeble  men  who  were  unable  to  wade  the  stream,  as  the 
water  ran  nearly  breast  high,  so  to  assist  them  I  remained 
behind  the  command  and  took  them  across  upon  my  horse. 
The  last  one  that  I  took  over  evidently  found  it  difficult  to 
express  his  gratitude,  but  was  at  length,  I  think,  equal  to  the 
occasion.  Said  he,  "I  have  a  beautiful  sister  at  home,  and 
when  the  war  is  over  if  you  will  come  down  you  may  marry 
her,  by  all  that  is  good  and  great."  Near  our  camp  that  night 
was  the  grave  of  an  old  lady  who  was  shot  because  she  in 
sisted  on  waving  a  Union  flag.  In  all  our  marching  through 
the  South  we  were  never  hailed  with  such  gladness  as  that 
which  met  us  among  the  hills  of  Tennessee.  "O,  sir,"  said  a 
poor  old  man,  as  his  voice  trembled  with  feeling,  "I  have  not 
seen  that  dear  old  flag  for  three  years.  God  be  praised,  it 
shall  yet  wave!"  The  face  of  his  aged  wife  was  radiant,  and 
having  brought  all  that  she  had  to  give  the  soldiers  as  they 
passed,  she  literally  danced  like  a  girl.  Women  and  girls 
came  for  miles,  bringing  baskets  of  provisions  and  other 
tokens  of  love  and  loyalty  to  the  flag.  I  remember  seeing 
one  beautiful  girl  standing  at  the  forks  of  the  road,  waving  a 
little  flag.  Not  a  word  could  she  say,  but  the  joyful  tears 
which  rolled  down  her  cheeks  will  not  be  forgotten  by  one  of 
the  soldiers  who  tramped  so  wearily  by  that  day. 

At  three  different  times  while  I  was  in  the  South  my  fam 
ily  visited  me.  Their  sojourn  in  camp  has  ever  been  remem 
bered  with  pleasure  by  them,  and  greatly  added  to  the  joy 
of  my  own  life  in  the  army.  Each  of  them  formed  an  undy 
ing  love  for  our  grand  old  regiment,  and  the  entire  future  of 
my  sons  was  moulded  favorably  by  those  months  of  associa 
tion  with  our  patriot  soldiers. 

Before  the  capture  of  Atlanta,  through  the  kindness  of 
General  Logan  I  was  permitted  to  return  to  the  North  for 
the  purpose  of  recruiting  the  regiment.  Having  been  elected 
by  the  veterans  to  be  their  colonel,  it  was  found  necessary 
under  existing  laws  to  add  to  our  numbers  before  we  could 
muster  in  a  full  corps  of  officers.  I  remained  with  the  regi 
ment  long  enough,  however,  to  witness  the  crowning  outrage 
of  our  campaigning,  viz:  the  arrest  of  Captain  Shaw  for  hes 
itating  to  obey  an  order  of  General  Lightburn,  which  it  would 


BROKEN    PROMISES.  461 

have  been  a  crime  for  him  to  have  executed.  With  more 
manhood  and  patriotism  and  courage  in  an  hour  than  Light- 
burn  was  capable  of  possessing  in  a  lifetime,  our  true,  good 
captain  was  left  under  a  cloud  for  twenty  years  —  a  cloud  that 
at  last  has  lifted  through  the  untiring  efforts  of  his  surviving 
comrades:  May  his  children's  children  be  blessed  to  the 
latest  generations. 

Upon  arriving  at  Springfield  I  immediately  reported  at  the 
office  of  Governor  Yates,  only  to  find  that  he  was  in  Chicago 
attending  the  democratic  convention.  Taking  the  next  train 
for  that  city  I  presented  my  papers  to  him,  and  he  promised 
to  see  me  the  next  day.  The  republican  central  committee 
and  the  governor  feared  that  the  welfare  of  the  country 
would  be  in  danger  if  any  more  loyal  men  left  Illinois  before 
the  election.  The  draft  was  soon  to  take  effect,  and  they 
proposed  that  if  I  would  speak  in  certain  doubtful  districts  I 
should  have  two  hundred  men  from  the  draft.  In  addition  to 
this  they  agreed  that  as  many  men  as  voluntarily  reported  to 
me  might  be  sent  on  to  the  regiment.  Believing  that  every 
thing  depended  upon  the  re-election  of  President  Lincoln 
and  a  republican  majority  in  Congress,  I  accepted  their  prop 
osition  and  spoke  through  two  districts  until  the  campaign 
was  ended.  A  large  number  of  recruits  voluntarily  reported 
to  me  and  were  sent  on  to  Springfield.  At  the  close  of  the 
campaign  I  received  a  note  from  the  Secretary  of  War  stat 
ing  that  he  was  painfully  disappointed  in  the  result  of  the 
draft,  and  could  not  furnish  the  two  hundred  men  as  agreed. 
Much  chagrined  I  hastened  to  Springfield  only  to  find  that 
nearly  all  of  the  recruits  who  had  voluntarily  reported  to  me 
had  for  some  reasons  not  been  sent  to  the  regiment.  I  be 
lieved  then  and  do  now  that  they  were  sold  to  the  highest 
bidder  by  dishonest  officials.  In  view  of  these  facts  I  re 
quested  to  be  mustered  out  of  the  service.  When  Sherman's 
army  had  reached  the  sea  my  request  was  complied  with. 

My  election  to  the  colonelcy  was  unsought  and  contrary 
to  my  expressed  wish;  but  the  appreciation  of  the  regiment 
shown  thus,  and  in  a  thousand  other  ways,  fills  me  with  grati 
tude.  To  be  identified  with  such  a  body  of  men  and  in  such 
a  cause  is  honor  enough  for  one  life,  and  to  me  a  source  of 


462 


FIFTY-FIFTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 


unfailing  pride  and  joy.  After  these  years  I  only  regret  that 
I  was  separated  from  the  veterans  in  their  last  triumphal 
march;  and  yet  it  must  have  been  God's  will,  and  I  do  not 
murmur.  The  years  have  come  and  gone,  and  our  ranks  are 
very  thin.  Our  comrades  are  sleeping  on  many  a  field  that 
their  valor  won,  and  most  of  us  who  remain  are  worn  and 
grey.  May  the  good  God  who  gave  us  victory  grant  a  glori 
ous  reunion  to  the  old  Fifty-fifth  in  the  land  of  never-ending 
peace ! 


APPENDIX. 


ROSTER  OF  THE  FIFTY-FIFTH  INFANTRY. 


INTRODUCTION. 

IT  is  probable  that  some  inaccuracies  as  well  as  many  omissions  will  be 
discovered  in  the  following  roster.  This  ought  not  to  be  thought 
strange  in  view  of  the  fact  that  twenty-two  years  have  elapsed  since  the 
muster  out  of  the  regiment,  and  that  many  of  the  company  documents 
have  been  lost  or  destroyed.  It  has  been  found  impossible  to  supply  all 
deficiencies  from  the  uncertain  memories  and  notes  of  surviving  com 
rades.  The  efforts  of  the  committee  have  been,  however,  directed  to  the 
reduction  of  errors  to  a  minimum.  Competent  and  interested  men  have 
been  found  among  the  living  of  nearly  all  the  companies,  who  have 
labored  zealously  to  correct  these  records.  Prominent  among  them  may 
be  mentioned:  J.  B.  Ridenour,  Curtis  P.  Lacey,  Robert  Oliver,  Jacob 
Fink,  John  Warden,  Joseph  Hartsook,  Peter  Roberts,  J.  August  Smith, 
and  John  Averill.  The  late  reprint  of  the  report  of  the  Adjutant-General 
of  Illinois,  though  very  imperfect,  has  been  an  invaluable  assistant. 
Many  of  its  omissions  and  errors  will  be  found  rectified  in  these  pages. 
Luckily  copies  of  all  the  regimental  reports  of  battle  casualties  have 
been  preserved,  and  every  man  hit  by  rebel  missile  and  so  reported  by 
name  at  any  time  has  been  duly  credited  in  this  roster. 

The  names  of  those  who  lost  their  lives  during  the  war  are  noted  with 
a  * ;  commissioned  officers'  names  are  preceded  by  a  |. 

FIELD  AND   STAFF. 

"fDAviD  STUART.  Chicago;  colonel  at  organization;  commanded  brigade 
from  Feb.  27  to  May  14,  '62;  wounded  in  shoulder  at  Shiloh;  appointed 
brigadier-general  Nov.  29,  '62,  to  date  from  Oct.  31,  "61;  commanded 
brigade  to  Dec.  27,  '62,  and  division  during  remainder  of  service;  left 
service  April  3,  '63,  his  appointment  having  failed  of  confirmation  by 
the  Senate.  Died  at  Detroit,  Mich.,  Sept.  11,  1868. 

|OscAR  MALMBORG.    Chicago;  lieutenant-colonel  at  organization;  pro 
moted  colonel  to  date  from  Dec.  19,  '62;  wounded — contusion  over  eye 
— at  Vicksburg,  May  19,  '63;  mustered  out  Sept.  20,  '64.     Died  in  Kan 
sas,  1874,  aged  67  years. 
30 


466 


APPENDIX. 


•[WILLIAM  D.  SANGER.  Chicago;  major  at  organization;  promoted  lieu 
tenant-colonel  to  date  from  Dec.  19,  '62,  but  declined  commission;  aid 
to  General  W.  T.  Sherman  from  March  10,  '62,  until  discharge;  mus 
tered  out  for  disability — an  unexplained  error — by  S.  O.  of  the  War 
Dept.,  to  date  from  Nov.  i,  '62.  Died  at  St.  Louis,  Nov.  — ,  1873. 

•[THEODORE  C.  CHANDLER.  Canton;  transferred  from  D  as  major,  to 
date  from  Dec.  19,  '62;  promoted  lieutenant-colonel,  to  date  from 
March  27,  '63;  resigned  July  3,  '64.  See  D. 

•[JAMES  J.  HEFFERNAN.  Chicago;  transferred  from  H  as  major,  to  date 
from  Dec.  19,  '62;  promoted  lieutenant-colonel,  to  dale  from  July  3,  '64; 
mustered  out  as  major,  Nov.  19,  '64.  Died  at  St.  Louis,  —  1886.  See  H. 

|MiLTON  L.  HANEY.  Bushnell;  transferred  from  F  as  chaplain,  to  date 
from  March  6/62;  elected  colonel  at  veteran  re-organization,  April  6, 
'64;  commissioned  lieutenant-colonel;  mustered  out  Dec.  2,  '64,  as 
chaplain.  See  F. 

•[CHARLES  A.  ANDRESS.  Mendota;  transferred  from  I  as  lieutenant- 
colonel,  to  date  from  June  12,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment.  Died 
-  1876.  See  L 

•[GILES  F.  HAND.  Prairie  City;  transferred  from  F  as  major,  to  date 
from  June  12, '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment.  See  F. 

•[GEORGE  L.  THURSTON.  Lancaster,  Mass.;  adjutant  at  organization; 
promoted  captain  of  B,  to  date  from  March  I,  '62.  See  B. 

•[HENRY  S.  NOURSE.  Lancaster,  Mass.;  headquarters  clerk  at  organiza 
tion;  commissioned  adjutant,  to  date  from  April  30,  '62;  slightly  wound 
ed  in  leg  at  Shiloh;  promoted  captain  of  H,  to  date  from  Dec.  19,  '62. 
See  H. 

•[FRANCIS  P.  FISHER.  Chicago;  transferred  from  C  as  commissary-ser 
geant,  Nov.  20, '61;  detached  as  store-keeper,  etc.,  at  brigade,  division 
and  corps  headquarters,  from  July,  '62,  to  June,  '63;  promoted  adjutant 
Oct.  19,  '63;  mustered  out  Oct.  30,  '64.  See  C. 

tJ.  AUGUST  SMITH.  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa;  transferred  from  H  as  sergeant- 
major,  Jan.  i,  '64;  veteran;  promoted  adjutant,  to  date  from  Oct.  31/64; 
commissioned  captain  of  F,  to  date  from  Aug.  2, '65;  mustered  out 
with  regiment  as  adjutant.  See  H. 

•[HENRY  W.  JANES.  Chicago;  quartermaster  at  organization;  promoted 
captain  a.  qm.  vols.  Aug.  10,  63;  captain  a.  qm.  U.  S.  A.,  Nov.  17,  '63; 
brevet  major  and  lieutenant-colonel,  March  13/65;  retired  as  major, 
for  disability,  July  2,  '79.  Died  at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  16,  1883. 

•[THADDEUS  H.  CAPRON.  Durand;  transferred  from  C  as  quartermaster- 
sergeant;  promoted  second-lieutenant  of  C  and  acting  quartermaster; 
promoted  quartermaster,  to  date  from  Aug.  10.  '63;  captain  a.  qm.  vols. 
June  20, '65;  mustered  out  Oct.  31, '65.  Appointed  second-lieutenant 
9th  U.  S.  Infty.,  Jan.  22,  '67;  promoted  first-lieutenant  Nov.  8,  '71.  See  C. 

"fE.  O.  F.  ROLER.  Chicago;  surgeon  at  organization,  promoted  from 
assistant-surgeon  42d  111.  Infty.;  acting  brigade  and  division  surgeon 
March,  '62,  to  Aug.,  '63;  medical  inspector  I5th  A.  C.  to  May,  '64;  med 
ical  director  i$th  A.  C.  to  end  of  service;  mustered  out  Nov.  10,  '64. 
J[CHARLES  B.  TOMPKINS.  Lewistown;  promoted  from  I7th  111.  Infty.,  to 
date  from  Nov.  25,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

•[CHARLES  WINNE.  Somonauk;  first  assistant-surgeon,  to  date  from  Nov. 
25,  '61 ;  promoted  surgeon  77th  111.  Infty.,  to  date  from  Dec.  6,  '62. 

fJoHN  T.  SMITH.  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa;  enlisted  Sept.  20, '61;  appointed 
hospital  steward  at  organization;  promoted  second  assistant-surgeon, 
to  date  from  Dec.  6,  '62;  first  assistant-surgeon,  to  date  from  Jan.  3, '63; 
mustered  out  Jan.  6,  '65. 

•[JOHN  B.  TOMPKINS.  Lewistown;  first  assistant-surgeon,  to  date  from 
May  5,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

fORLANDO  W.  NEWELL.  Marshall;  second  assistant-surgeon,  to  date 
May  19,  '63;  resigned  Aug.  13,  '63. 


FIELD    AND    STAFF.  467 

|L.  P.  CROUCH.    Chaplain  at  organization;  resigned  March  I,  '62. 

JOHN  T.  McAuLEY.     Transferred  from  K  as  sergeant-major,  Nov.  14,  '61 ; 

wounded  severely  at  Shiloh;  promoted  second-lieutenant  of  C.     See 

K,  C  and  B. 
JOSEPH  HARTSOOK.    Transferred  from  F  as  sergeant-major,  Sept.  1/62; 

promoted  first-lieutenant  of  K.     See  F  and  K. 
JOHN  G.  BROWN.    Transferred  from  A  as  principal  musician,  Feb.  '63; 

veteran;  promoted  sergeant-major,  to  date  Oct.  31,  '64;  mustered  out 

with  regiment.     See  A. 
CALVIN  K.  SANDERS.    Appointed  (quartermaster-sergeant  at  organization, 

from  C;  discharged  for  disability  Jan.  5,  '63.     See  C. 
JOSEPH  H.  PRESSON.    Transferred  from  A  as  quartermaster-sergeant, 

Sept.  — ,  '62;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '61.     See  A. 
MILTON  M.  POTTER.    Transferred  from   D  as  quartermaster-sergeant, 

Oct.  31,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment.     See  D. 
HENRY  A.  HURLBUT.     Transferred  From  C  as  commissary-sergeant,  May 

4,  '64;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64.     See  C. 
DORSEY  C.  ANDRESS.    Transferred  from  I  as  commissary-sergeant,  Oct. 

31,  '64;  promoted  first-lieutenant  of  I,  June  12,  '65.     See  I. 
JACOB  SANFORD.    Transferred  from  F  as  commissary-sergeant,  June  13, 

'65;  mustered  out  with  regiment.     See  F. 
*ELON  G.  CANFIELD.     Transferred  from  E  as  hospital  steward, — '63; 

died  at  Batavia,  111.,  Dec.  13,  '63.     See  E, 
EDWARD  H.  WORDEN.    Transferred  from  B  as  hospital  steward,  —  '63; 

mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64.     See  B. 
JAMES  LEROY  BURNSIDE.    Transferred  from  G  as  hospital  steward,  Jan. 

1,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment.     See  G. 

WILLIAM  H.  HOWE.  Transferred  from  G  as  principal  musician,  Jan.  i, 
'62;  mustered  out  Feb.  9,  '93,  pursuant  to  G.  O.  126,  abolishing  the 
office.  See  G. 

MICHAEL  GUILFOIL.  Transferred  from  E  as  acting  principal  musician, 
—  '63;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64.  See  E. 

WILLIAM  KUTZ.     Transferred  from  I  as  acting  principal  musician,  Jan. 

2,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment.     See  I. 

JOHN  Q.  AVERILL.  Transferred  from  K  as  acting  principal  musician, 
March  1/64;  mustered  out  with  regiment.  See  K. 


BAND. 

The  band  was  mustered  into  service  with  the   regiment  at  Camp 
Douglas,  and  mustered  out  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  Feb.  i,  1862. 

LEADER  —  S.  V.  W.  Post. 
Musicians. 

Amos,  Benjamin  Downey,  A.  Parker,  Roderick 

Bailey,  John  Downey,  H.  Raney,  Edward 

Bardsley,  John  Foster,  A.  Rice,  Augustus 

Collister,  S.  G.  Hill,  Henry  Sproule,  John 

Coykendall,  H.  W.  Johnson,  William  Smalley,  Forrest 

Carry,  David  Kaste,  William  Thorpe,  Barton 
Kirkbride,  Wesley 


APPENDIX. 

COMPANY    A. 

When  Company  A  was  mustered  into  the  service  it  numbered  one 
hundred  and  one  enlisted  men  and  officers.  They  were  recruited  princi 
pally  in  Fulton  County,  and  in  three  divisions: — one  from  Lewistown  by 
Rev.  William  A.  Presson,  one  from  Canton  by  Jacob  M.  Augustine,  one 
from  Liverpool  by  Casper  Schleich.  The  company  was  known  as  the 
Canton  Blues,  the  ladies  having  presented  them  with  a  blue  flag. 

The  men  for  the  most  part  came  from  rural  avocations  and  they  made 
the  best  of  soldiers.  One  evidence,  perhaps,  of  this  is  the  fact  that  they 
furnished  an  unusual  number  of  commissioned  and  non-commissioned 
officers.  The  regiment  elected  from  A  two  lieutenant-colonels, — Jacob 
M.  Augustine  and  John  B.  Ridenour, — though  by  fortune  of  war  neither 
obtained  commissions  in  that  grade.  Joseph  H.  Presson  was  promoted 
quartermaster-sergeant;  John  G.  Brown,  sergeant-major;  Captain  W.  A. 
Presson,  after  his  resignation  from  the  55th,  became  major  and  lieutenant- 
colonel  in  the  73d  111.  Infty.  Company  A  had  five  captains  from  its  own 
ranks,  and  furnished  one  each  to  E  and  F.  Captain  Henry  Augustine 
after  leaving  the  regiment  served  six  months  as  captain  of  Company  I, 
5ist  111.  Vet.  Vols.  John  B.Johnson  became  captain  in  the  I37th  111.  Infty. 
Seven  first-lieutenants  were  supplied  to  Company  A,  one  to  E  and  one  to 
the  ist  Tennessee  H.  A.  Four  second-lieutenants  were  furnished  to 
Company  A,  one  to  F  and  one  to  the  2d  Mississippi  Colored.  Thus  in  all 
it  gave  the  service  eight  captains,  seven  first-lieutenants,  and  six  second- 
lieutenants. 

The  company  had  during  the  war  eight  orderly-sergeants  and  fur 
nished  one,  Peter  Schleich,  to  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps.  Twenty-one 
served  as  duty  sergeants  and  twenty-eight  held  the  rank  of  corporal. 
Sergeant  John  B.  Phillips,  the  first  color-bearer  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  after 
discharge  served  three  years  as  private  in  the  23d  111.  Infty.  Most  of  the 
survivors  of  the  company  fill  important  stations  in  church  and  society, 
and  respectable  positions  in  business  pursuits. 

The  losses  during  the  war  were  as  follows:  Killed,  10;  mortally 
wounded,  4;  wounded  not  mortally,  25;  died  of  disease,  10;  discharged 
for  disability,  12;  taken  prisoners  —  all  returned  to  duty  —  8;  died  since 
the  war  so  far  as  known,  13. 

The  company  had  in  it  a  large  number  of  consistent  Christians,  a 
majority  of  them  Methodists,  whose  prayers  and  songs  were  often  heard 
in  camp,  on  the  march,  in  storm  and  battle.  As  a  fearless  and  efficient 
military  leader  and  commander,  Captain  Jacob  M.  Augustine,  killed  while 
commanding  the  regiment,  was  recognized  as  among  the  foremost. 

*| AUGUSTINE,  JACOB  M.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  July  30,  '61;  first-lieutenant 
at  organization;  promoted  captain,  to  date  from  March  15,  '62;  elected 
lieutenant-colonel  by  veterans,  April  6,  '64;  killed  in  charge  on  Little 
Kenesaw  Mountain,  June  27,  '64. 

|  AUGUSTINE,  HENRY.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  23, '61;  sergeant  at  or 
ganization;  promoted  second-lieutenant,  to  date  from  Aug.  1/62;  first- 
lieutenant  to  date  from  Oct.  2,  '62;  captain,  to  date  from  June  27,  '64; 
mustered  out  Nov.  8,  '64.  Captain  5ist  111.  Vet.  Vols.,  1865. 


COMPANY   A.  469 

*APPLE,  NATHANIEL.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  10,  '61 ;  died  at  home, 
May  9,  '62. 

*BABBITT,  CHRISTIE.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  21,  '61 ;  wounded  and  cap 
tured  at  Shiloh;  paroled,  and  died  during  May, '62,  at  Canton. 

*BANKS,  JOHN  M.     Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  10, '61;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

BARKLEY,  JOHN  M.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  2,  '61 ;  division  teamster 
from  Nov.  1/62;  discharged  for  disability,  Jan.  28,  '63.  Died  July,  1884. 

BARKLEY,  JOSEPH  C.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  n,  '61;  wounded  in 
head  at  Vicksburg,  May  19/63;  division  teamster  from  Nov.  10,  '63; 
mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

*BOLANDER,  HARVEY.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  2, '61;  killed  at  At 
lanta,  July  22,  '64. 

BOYLE,  JASON.     Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  12,  '61;  deserted  Jan.  11,  '62. 

BRAYDEN,  SAMUEL.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Oct.  10/61 ;  division  teamster 
from  Oct.  23, '62;  captured  and  paroled  near  Memphis,  Tenn.;  mus 
tered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

BROWN,  ELI  C.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  2,  '61;  discharged  for  disa 
bility,  Jan.  28/63.  Died  at  Bryant  in  1881. 

BROWN,  JOHN  G.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Oct.  29/61;  musician;  veteran; 
promoted  principal  musician  and  sergeant-major.  See  Field  and  Staff. 

BUFFUM,  GEORGE  A.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Oct.  7/61;  corporal  at  or 
ganization  in  color-guard;  discharged  for  disability,  Jan.  23,  '63.  Died 
at  Lewistown,  Dec.  20,  1884. 

BULL,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  9/61;  wounded  in  left  knee 
at  Shiloh,  and  discharged  therefor  Nov.  13,  62. 

*  BURNS,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  20,  '61;  promoted  corporal 
March  15,  '62;  sergeant,  March  31,  '63;  killed  at  Vicksburg  by  shell, 
May  22,  '63. 

BURNSIDES,  GEORGE  M.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  7,  '61 ;  detached  at 
corps  quartermaster's  from  Nov.  n,  '62;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

CADWALLADER,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Sept.  2,  61 ;  captured  at 
Shiloh,  and  returned  March  2,  '63;  transferred  to  Second  Miss.  Colored 
as  second-lieutenant,  June  15/63. 

CHAMBERS,  CHARLES.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  2/61 ;  wounded  at 
Shiloh  in  left  hip,  and  discharged  therefor  July  2,  '62. 

*CLARK,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Sept.  14,  '61 ;  wounded  in  charge 
at  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64,  and  died  of  wound  at  Allatoona, 
July  9,  '64. 

COLEMAN,  WILLIAM  H.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  4/61 ;  veteran;  mus 
tered  out  with  regiment. 

ICOOTES,  WILLIAM  F.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Sept.  i,  '61;  first-sergeant 
at  organization;  promoted  second-lieutenant,  to  date  from  March  13, 
'62;  first-lieutenant,  to  date  from  July  1/62;  transferred  to  E  as  cap 
tain.  See  E. 

Cox,  ALFRED  J.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Young  Hickory,  March  7,  '65;  mus 
tered  out  June  8,  '65. 

Cox,  MICHAEL  T.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  2,|'6i ;  veteran;  mustered 
out  with  regiment. 

COYKENDALL,  MORRIS  J.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Oct.  16/61;  wounded  at 
Shiloh;  with  Signal  Corps  in  '62;  discharged  for  disability  Jan.  28,  '63. 

DEEMS,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  31,  '61;  wounded  severely 
in  left  side  at  Shiloh;  promoted  corporal  Aug.  1/62;  sergeant,  Sept.  I, 
'63;  wounded  in  thigh  at  Vicksburg,  May  19,  '63;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31/64. 

DEFORD,  MILTON.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  31/61;  deserted  May 
11/63. 

DEFORD,  THOMAS.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  1/61 ;  discharged —  '62. 
Died  Dec.,  1885. 

DURHAM,  JACOB  A.    Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  6/6 1;  detached  with 


47°  APPENDIX. 

corps  quartermaster  from  Dec.  10,  '62;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64.  Died 
Nov.  6,  1885. 

DURYEA,  BENJAMIN  F.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  21, '61;  division  team 
ster;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

*ELRODD,  THOMAS  J.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  31/61;  wounded  in 
thigh  at  Shiloh;  wounded  at  Vicksburg,  June  18,  '63,  and  died  of  wound 
at  home,  Aug.  21,  '63. 

ERICKSON,  OLIVER.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  3,  '61;  corporal  at  organi 
zation;  sergeant,  Aug.  i,'62;  first-sergeant,  May  19,  '63;  transferred  to 
E  as  first-lieutenant.  See  E. 

EVELAND,  LORENZO.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  31,  '61;  orderly  for 
Brig.-Gen.  M.  L.  Smith  from  Oct.  20,  '63;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

FILER,  LORENZO.    Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Sept.  3,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct. 

31.  '64- 

FINGLE,  CHARLES  P.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Young  Hickory,  March  7,  '65; 
mustered  out  with  regiment. 

FRY,  DAVID  J.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  31,  '61;  corporal  at  organiza 
tion;  veteran;  promoted  sergeant,  March  28,  '65;  mustered  out  with 
regiment,  as  first-sergeant. 

*FUNK,  JOHN.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Chicago,  Jan.  10, '64;  drummer;  killed 
at  Ezra  Chapel,  July  28,  '64. 

GARRETT,  SILAS  S.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Sept.  24,  '61;  captured  at 
Shiloh  and  returned  April  7,  63;  transferred  to  ist  Tennessee  H.  A. 
Colored,  Dec.  1 1/63,  as  first-lieutenant.  Died  at  Memphis,  July  23,  1885. 

GAY,  JOSHUA  H.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Sept.  14,  '61 ;  discharged  for  dis 
ability,  Sept.  24,  '62. 

*GLASS,  JOHN  C.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Aug.  30,  61;  corporal  at  organi 
zation;  promoted  sergeant,  Aug.  i,  '62;  first-sergeant,  March  31,  '63; 
killed  at  Vicksburg,  May  19,  '63. 

GLASS,  WILLIAM  M.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Oct.  2i,'6i;  veteran;  pro 
moted  corporal,  June  I,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment.  Died,  Peoria, 
Nov.  27,  1883. 

HAMILTON,  CHARLES  F.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  31,  '61;  wounded  in 
left  leg  in  charge  upon  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64;  mustered 
out,  Oct.  31,  '64. 

HART,  HENRY  L.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Aug.  31,  '61;  promoted  corpo 
ral,  May  22,  '63;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

*HASTY,  WILLIS.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Oct.  5,  '61;  veteran;  killed  at 
Ezra  Chapel,  July  28,  '64. 

HAYDEN,  ALFRED  R.  Enlisted  at  Nekoma,  Oct.  30,  '61;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31,  '64. 

HEBB,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  July  30,  '61;  mustered  out,  Oct.  31, 
'64. 

*HENDRIX,  LYMAN  P.  Enlisted  at  Fayette,  Aug.  5,  '61;  died  in  hospital 
at  St.  Louis,  April  17,  '63. 

HENDRIX,  TIMOTHY  S.  Enlisted  at  Fayette,  Oct.  14,  '61;  went  home  on 
furlough  sick,  June  17,  '62,  and  deserted. 

|*HILL,  LEVI.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Aug.  30,  '61;  sergeant  at  organi 
zation;  promoted  first-sergeant,  March  15, '62;  second-lieutenant,  Oct. 
2,  '62;  killed  at  Vicksburg,  May  19,  '63. 

*HOLDEN,  BARTLEY.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  31.  '61;  killed  in 
charge  upon  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64. 

*HUFFARD,  FRANCIS  M.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  10,  '61 ;  captured  at 
Shiloh,  and  returned  Feb.  25,  '63;  died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  Nov.  9, '63. 

JOHNSON,  JOHN  B.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Sept.  2,  '61;  sergeant  at  or 
ganization;  transferred  to  F  as  second-lieutenant,  March  8,  '62.  See  F. 

JONES,  ABNER.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  2,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct. 
3 1, '64. 

*LENHART,  HENRY.    Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  31,  '61;  promoted  cor- 


COMPANY    A.  471 

poral  March  15, '62;  severely  wounded  at  Shiloh;  promoted  sergeant 
May  22,  '63;  died  at  Camp  Sherman,  Miss.,  Aug.  21.  '63. 

LENHART,  ISAIAH.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  31/61.  Enlisted  again  in 
Company  A,  io3d  111.  Infty.,  Aug.  16,  '62,  and  mustered  out  June  21/65. 

LINGENFELTER,  AARON.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  9,  '61;  veteran; 
wounded  at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64,  in  hand;  wounded  severely  in  right 
shoulder  at  Bentonville,  N.  C.,  March  21,  '65;  mustered  out  July  22,  '65. 

LOWDER,  ANDREW  J.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Aug.  31,  '61;  wounded  at 
Shiloh;  veteran;  wounded  at  Ezra  Chapel,  July  28,  '64;  promoted  cor 
poral  Oct.  31,  '64;  sergeant,  July  21,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

LOWDER,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Aug.  31,  '61;  division  teamster; 
mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

LOWE,  WILLIAM  H.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  5,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal 
March  31,  '63;  sergeant,  May  26,  '63;  severely  wounded  in  neck  at 
Jonesboro',  Aug.  31,  '64;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

LUCKEY,  GEORGE  J.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  12,  '61;  corporal  at  organ 
ization;  promoted  sergeant  March  15,  '62;  discharged  for  disability 
July  24,  62. 

MAXWELL,  ALBERT  B.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Aug.  8,  '61;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31,  '64. 

MAXWELL,  DANIEL  K.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Aug.  5,  '61;  veteran;  se 
verely  wounded  in  right  leg  in  charge  on  Little  Kenesaw,  June  27,  64, 
and  discharged  for  wound  March  10,  '65. 

MAXWELL,  RICHARD  A.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Clarion,  March  13, '65; 
mustered  out  with  regiment. 

MCCULLOUGH,  JOHN  K.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  21,  '61;  veteran;  pro 
moted  corporal  Oct.  31,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

McCuMBER,  ORVILLE.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  2/61 ;  discharged  for 
disability  Jan.  28,  '63. 

•fMcCuMBER,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  2,  '61;  promoted 
corporal  Sept.  23, '63;  veteran;  promoted  sergeant  Oct.  31, '64;  first- 
sergeant,  March  28,  '65;  commissioned  first-lieutenant  July  21,  '65; 
mustered  out  with  regiment  as  first-sergeant. 

MILLS,  JOSEPH  H.  Enlisted  at  Ellisville,  Sept.  13,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal 
Sept.  26,  '63;  veteran;  prompted  sergeant  Oct.  31,  64;  first-sergeant, 
July  21,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

MITCHELL,  MATTHEW.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  31,  '61;  wounded  in 
groin  at  Vicksburg,  May  19,  '63;  veteran;  promoted  corporal  Oct.  31, 
64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

MONROE,  J.  J.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Clarion,  March  13,  '65;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

*MORAN,  CHARLES.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  31,  '61;  died  at  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  Oct.  17,  '63. 

MORGAN,  NEWTON.  Enlisted  at  Ellisville,  Sept.  13,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Ezra 
Chapel,  July  28,  '64;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  64. 

NEGLEY,  DANIEL  O.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  31,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal 
Aug.  i,  '62;  sergeant,  Sept.  11,  '63;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

NORMAN,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12/61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
division  teamster;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64.  Died  in  Kansas  in  1881. 

*PETERS,  WILLIAM  T.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  31,  '61;  died  at  home, 
March  19.  '62. 

PHILLIPS,  JOHN  B.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  23/61 ;  sergeant  at  organ 
ization,  being  the  first  color-bearer;  discharged  March  31,  '62. 

*POLLOCK,  HARRISON.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Oct.  7/61 ;  died  in  hospital 
at  Paducah,  Ky.,  March  23,  '62. 

PORTER,  EDGAR  J.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Oct.  17/61 ;  captured  on  Black 
River,  Miss.,  Aug.  14,  '63;  exchanged,  and  returned  June  16,  '64;  se 
verely  wounded  in  left  hand  in  charge  upon  Little  Kenesaw,  June  27, 
.  '64;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 


472  APPENDIX. 

PORTER,  FITCH  J.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  31/61 ;  discharged  for  dis 
ability  Sept.  14,  '62. 

PRESSON,  JOSEPH  H.  Enlisted  at  Galesburg,  Sept.  2,  '61;  corporal  at  or 
ganization;  promoted  quartermaster-sergeant  March  31,  '63.  See  Field 
and  Staff. 

IPRESSON,  WILLIAM  A.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  31,  '61;  captain  at 
organization;  resigned  March  13,  '62.  Major  and  lieutenant-colonel 
73d  111.  Infty. 

tPRiCKETT,  HARRISON  H.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  31,  '61 ;  promoted 
corporal  Sept.  26,  '63;  veteran;  promoted  first-sergeant  Nov.  i,  '64; 
first-lieutenant,  to  date  from  May  19,  '65;  captain,  from  July  21, '65; 
mustered  out  with  regiment.  Killed  at  Lewistown  by  runaway  team, 
Jan.  27,  1867. 

PRICKETT,  JACOB  P.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  3,  '61;  deserted  while 
on  sick  leave,  granted  June  12,  '62.  Died  May  11,  1886. 

PRITCHARD,  BENJAMIN.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  30,  '61 ;  mustered 
out  March  27,  '65. 

REDFERN,  MARK.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Aug.  31/61;  fifer;  mustered 
out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

*REEVES,  DAVID  M.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  6,  '61 ;  v/ounded  at  Shiloh 
and  died  of  wound  at  Quincy,  111.,  May  27,  '62. 

tRiDENOUR,  JOHN  B.  Enlisted  at  Lynn,  Sept.  21,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
promoted  corporal  Aug.  I,  '62;  sergeant,  May  19,  '63;  first-sergeant, 
Sept.  26,  '63;  veteran;  promoted  first-lieutenant,  to  date  June  27,  '64; 
captain,  to  date  March  28,  '65;  elected  lieutenant-colonel  March  30,  '65; 
resigned  as  captain,  June  15,  '6j5,  at  Louisville,  Ky. 

ROBBINS,  JAMES  F.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  26,  '61 ;  discharged  for  dis 
ability  June  12,  '62. 

*ROCKHOLD,  CHARLES.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  5,  '61 ;  promoted  cor 
poral  March  15,  '62;  sergeant,  March  31/63;  died  at  Camp  Sherman, 
Miss.,  of  fever,  Sept.  n,  '63. 

ROSEBAUM,  ABRAHAM.   Enlisted  at  Canton,  Oct.  9/61 ;  deserted  Jan.  10/63. 

Ross,  STEPHEN  M.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  31,  '61;  discharged  for  dis 
ability  June  — ,  '62. 

SCANLAN,  THOMAS.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Aug.  8, '61;  veteran;  pro 
moted  corporal  March  28,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

jScHLEiCH,  CASPER.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Aug.  31,  '61 ;  second-lieuten 
ant  at  organization;  promoted  first-lieutenant  March  15/62;  transferred 
July  i,  '62,  to  F  as  captain.  See  F. 

SCHLEICH,  PETER.  Enlisted  at  Ellisville,  Aug.  31,  '61;  corporal  at  organ 
ization;  promoted  sergeant  Aug.  1/62;  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.,  Sept. 

9.  '63- 
SEBREE,  JAMES.     Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  10,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal 

May  22/63;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 
SHAW,  HARVEY.     Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Oct.  5/61;  captured  at  Shiloh; 

wounded   at  charge  on  Little  Kenesaw,  June  27,  '64;    mustered  out 

May  ii,  '65. 
*SIMPSON,  SAMUEL  J.    Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  9,  '61;  died  at  Shiloh 

about  April  15,  '62. 
*TOBIN,  PATRICK.     Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  2,  '61 ;  killed  at  Vicks- 

burg,  May  19,  '63. 
VAUGHAN,  JAMES  A.     Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  15/61;  bugler;  wounded 

at  Shiloh;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
WELLINGTON,  HORATIO.    Enlisted  at  Canton,  July  30,  .61;  mustered  out 

Oct.  31,  '64. 
WHEELER,  ALLEN.     Enlisted  at   Fayette,  Aug.    18,   '61;    detached  in 

Pioneer  Corps;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

WHEELER,  JOHN  P.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  24,  '61 ;  promoted  cor 
poral,  Aug.  i,  '63;  sergeant,  Sept.  26,  '63;  veteran;  wounded  in  right 


COMPANY    B.  473 

foot  at  Atlanta  July  22,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
WHEELER,  MYRON.    Enlisted  at  Fayette,  Aug.  5,  *6i;  sergeant  at  organi 
zation;  discharged  by  court-martial  Dec.  25,  '64. 
WHEELER,  WILLIAM.    Enlisted  at  Fayette,  Oct.  7,  '61;  deserted  while 

on  furlough  granted  June  17,  '62. 

WHITE,  JOSEPH  H.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  30,  '61;  captured  at 
Black  River,  Miss.,  Aug.  14,  '63,  and  returned  June  16,  '64!  mustered 
out  Oct.  31,  '64.  Died  at  Lewistown,  June  4,  1875. 

WHITE,  JAMES  M.    Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  3,  '61 ;  promoted  corpo 
ral  Aug.  i,  '63;  veteran;  wounded  at  charge  upon  Little  Kenesaw  Mt., 
July  27,  '64,  leg  amputated,  and  discharged  June  5,  '65. 
*WILLIAMSON,   NATHANIEL.    Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  22,  '61;  died  of 

wound  received  at  Shiloh. 

WILSON,  BENJAMIN  A.    Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Aug.  31,  '61;  discharged 
for  disability  Sept.  4,  '62.     Reported  killed  by  Indians  in  1877. 
The  following  were  temporarily  transferred  from  n6th  and  I27th  111. 
Infantry  to  complete  their  terms  of  enlistment,  and  were  mustered  out 
with  the  regiment:     ii6th— Geo.  W.  Church,  John  Fry,  Benjamin  T.  Han 
cock,  James  W.  Hancock,  William  H.  Miller.     I27th — Charles  Bennett, 
Lorenzo  D.  Goff,  Hiram  S.  Mead,  James  Niswanger,  Bayard  Smith. 


COMPANY    B. 

This  body  of  patriots  was  drawn  from  widely  separated  localities. 
Most  of  those  earliest  enrolled  were  from  DeKalb  and  Ogle  counties.  A 
few  came  from  Michigan  and  others  from  Iowa;  the  last  originally  being 
members  of  a  company  which  was  recruited  with  the  intention  of  enter 
ing  the  23d  Illinois — Mulligan's  Brigade.  The  report  of  the  adjutant- 
general  of  the  state  also  credits  several  to  Kentucky,  and  this  singular 
error  was  not  discovered  until  it  was  unfortunately  copied  from  that 
authority  on  page  37  of  this  volume.  The  locality  thus  wrongly  attributed 
to  Kentucky  is  Mayfield,  De  Kalb  county,  Illinois. 

The  first  commander  of  the  organization  was  Thomas  B.  Mackey,  who 
had  served  for  several  years  in  the  U.  S.  Army.  At  Paducah  he  resigned 
and  Adjutant  George  L.  Thurston  was  appointed  to  succeed  him.  The 
company  was  designated  B,  and  given  position  on  the  left  flank  of  the 
regiment.  At  Shiloh,  led  by  Captain  Thurston,  it  encountered  the  enemy 
some  time  before  the  brigade  came  under  fire,  lost  several  men  while 
skirmishing,  and  inflicted  severe  punishment  upon  the  Confederates.  Its 
casualties  during  the  battle  outnumbered  those  of  any  other  company  in 
the  55th,  and  were,  beyond  a  doubt,  more  numerous  than  those  of  any 
similar  organization  engaged — amounting  to  nine  killed  outright  and 
thirty-two  wounded,  out  of  less  than  seventy  in  action.  At  Russell's 
House,  May  17,  1862,  the  company  again  became  conspicuous,  being  en 
gaged  upon  the  skirmish  line,  and  lost  one  killed  and  two  wounded. 

July  5,  1862,  Captain  Thurston  was  compelled  to  leave  the  field  be 
cause  of  illness  which  soon  proved  fatal,  and  Lieutenant  Merrill  was 
discharged  for  disability  at  Memphis.  Lieutenant  John  T.  McAuley  was 
transferred  from  C  as  captain.  Elijah  C.  Lawrence  of  K  had  succeeded 
Asahel  C.  Smith,  the  original  second-lieutenant  of  the  company.  He  was 
31 


474  APPENDIX. 

severely  wounded  at  Shiloh  and  resigned  after  arrival  before  Vicksburg 
in  1863.  George  W.  Eichelbarger  who  succeeded  him,  a  brave  and  effi 
cient  officer,  was  killed  before  Atlanta. 

Without  question,  the  company  compared  favorably  with  any  in  the 
55th  in  its  soldierly  capacity  and  services  rendered.  Its  officers  were 
nearly  all  capable  drill-masters,  and  the  men  did  honor  to  their  discipline. 
A  summary  of  the  company's  losses  is  as  follows:  Killed,  16;  mortally 
wounded,  10;  other  wounded,  31;  captured,  3, — two  of  whom  died  in  rebel 
prisons;  discharged  for  wounds,  7;  discharged  for  disability,  12;  died  of 
disease,  15;  deserted,  4. 

*ALLISON,  WILLIAM  P.  Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Aug.  27,  '61;  killed  at 
Shiloh. 

*ASHMAN,  NICHOLAS.     Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Oct.  8,  '61;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

*ASHMORE,  JOHN  N.  Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Sept.  3,  '61 ;  sergeant  at  organ 
ization;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

ATWOOD,  AMOS  C.  Enlisted  at  De  Kalb,  Aug.  27,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh 
and  discharged  therefor. 

AVERILL,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Mayfield,  Sept.  10,  '61 ;  transferred  to  K 
Nov.  7,  '6 1.  See  K,  and  Field  and  Staff. 

*BAGLEY,  J.  PARKER.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  10,  '61 ;  first-sergeant  at 
organization;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

IBANDFIELD,  FRANCIS.  Enlisted  at  Milan,  Mich.,  Oct.  24,  '61 ;  promoted 
sergeant  Sept.  1/63;  veteran;  commissioned  captain  July  21, '65;  mus 
tered  out  as  sergeant  with  regiment. 

BARKLEY,  WILLIAM  H.  Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Aug.  27,  '61 ;  veteran;  pro 
moted  sergeant  — ;  wounded  at  Atlanta,  Aug.  3,  '64;  mustered  out  with 
regiment. 

*BARRETT,  DANIEL.  Enlisted  at  Charleston,  Aug.  27, '61;  sergeant  at 
organization;  died  in  hospital  at  St.  Louis,  June  I,  '63. 

BLACK,  JAMES  S.  Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Sept.  30,  '61;  corporal  at  organi 
zation;  promoted  sergeant;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

BLACK,  WILLIAM  J.  Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Aug.  27,  '61;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31,  '64. 

BRADFORD,  M.  J.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Aug.  27,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31/64- 

*BRIDGE,  EDWARD.  Enlisted  at  Malta,  Sept.  10,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
promoted  sergeant  March  27,  '63;  died  at  Larkinsville,  Ala.,  Jan.  11/64. 

BURROWS,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  July  28,  '61 ;  discharged 
July  10,  '62. 

CARNEY,  JOHN  W.  Enlisted  at  Dement,  Sept.  28,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
veteran;  promoted  corporal;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

CASEY,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  July  28,  '61 ;  veteran;  promoted  cor 
poral;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

CASEY,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Oct.  10,  '61;  corporal  at  organization; 
wounded  at  Shiloh;  mustered  out  Nov.  7,  '64,  as  private. 

CHAPFELL,  DANIEL  S.  Enlisted  at  Dement,  Sept.  10, '61 ;  discharged 
May  8,  '62. 

*CLARK,  ROBERT.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  30,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
wounded  at  Russell's  House,  May  17,  '62,  died  of  wound  May  20,  '62. 

*CROSS,  DEWITT  C.  Enlisted  at  De  Kalb,  Sept.  25,  '61;  died  in  hospital 
at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  Sept.  12,  '62. 

DIXON,  ROBERT.     Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Aug.  27,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct. 

3 1. '64. 

*DONAHUE,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Aug.  27,  '61 ;  died  in  hospital  at 
Monterey,  Tenn.,  June  5,  '62.  of  typhoid  fever. 


COMPANY    B.  475 

DOWNING,  REUBEN.  Enlisted  at  De  Kalb,  Oct.  29, '61;  discharged  for 
disability  Nov.  5,  '61. 

t*EiCHELBARGER,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  at  Fulton,  Oct.  7,  '61 ;  promoted 
corporal;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  promoted  sergeant;  second-lieutenant, 
to  elate  Feb.  9,  '63;  first-lieutenant,  Sept.  26,  '63;  killed  at  Atlanta,  July 

22,  '64. 

*ELLIOTT,  DAVID  H.  Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Aug.  27,  '61;  corporal  at  or 
ganization;  wounded  at  Shiloh,  and  died  of  wound  at  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind., 
April  28,  '62. 

•{•ELLIOTT,  ROBERT  R.  Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Sept.  30,  '61 ;  wounded  at 
Shiloh;  veteran;  promoted  corporal;  sergeant;  commissioned  first- 
lieutenant;  mustered  out  with  regiment  as  sergeant. 

ELLSWORTH,  LYMAN.  Enlisted  at  Dement,  Oct.  19, '61;  veteran;  mus 
tered  out  with  regiment. 

*FARWELL,  GEORGE  G.  Enlisted  at  Mayfield,  Oct.  25,  '61 ;  bugler;  killed 
at  Shiloh. 

IFISHER,  JOHN  H.  Enlisted  at  Dement,  Sept.  10,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
wounded  slightly  at  Vicksburg,  in  storming  party,  May  22,  "63;  veteran; 
promoted  corporal;  wounded  at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64;  promoted  first- 
lieutenant,  to  date  from  July  22,  '64;  discharged  May  15,  '65. 

FOLEY,  GEORGE.  Enlisted  at  De  Kalb,  Sept.  25,  '61;  transferred  to  5ist 
111.  Infty.,  Dec.  7/61. 

FRANK,  PETER  W.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Oct.  29,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31,  '64. 

*FRANKLIN,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Aug.  27, '61;  captured  at 
Shiloh  and  died  a  prisoner. 

*GALE,  RUSSELL.  Enlisted  at  Oregon,  Sept.  29,  '61 ;  died  at  Camp  Doug 
las,  Dec.  15,  '61. 

GAMMON,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Malta,  Sept.  25, '61;  deserted  Nov.  21, '61, 
but  served  later  in  Gen.  Halleck's  body  guard. 

*GoopwiN,  DAVID  M.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  20, '61;  died  at  Mem 
phis,  Tenn.,  Aug.  12,  '62. 

GRAVES,  JOSEPH  F.    Enlisted  at  Malta,  Oct.  8,  '61 ;  discharged  Sept.  23/62. 

GRAY,  WILLIAM  W.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Oct.  8,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh 
and  discharged  therefor. 

HARDENBROOK,  MARCUS.  Enlisted  at  Dement,  Sept.  10.  '61;  slightly 
wounded  at  Chattanooga,  Nov.  25,  '63;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

*HARRINGTON,  T.  W.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Nov.  i,'6i;  wounded  at  Shi 
loh,  and  died  of  wound  at  Keokuk,  la.,  May  11,  '62. 

*HAYS,  LEVI.  Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Aug.  27,  '61;  captured  at  Shiloh,  and 
died  at  Chattanooga. 

HEIDLER,  PETER.  Enlisted  at  Dement,  Sept.  10. '61;  sergeant  at  organi 
zation;  discharged  Aug.  18,  '62. 

HOWARD,  JAMES  D.  Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Aug.  27/61;  deserted  near 
Richmond,  La.,  May  8,  '63.  Served  again  in  Missouri  cavalry. 

HOWE,  LISTON  D.    Enlisted  Feb.  12/62;  drummer;  discharged  Feb.  28/65. 

HOWELL,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  30, '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
wounded  slightly  at  Chattanooga,  Nov.  25,  '63;  veteran;  deserted  June 
i,  '64. 

*HUNTINGTON,  E.  D.  Enlisted  at  Malta,  Oct.  8,  '61 ;  promoted  first-ser 
geant  May  i,  '62;  died  at  Larkinsville,  Ala.,  May  13,  '64. 

JACKSON,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Lane,  Oct.  12, '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  vet 
eran;  wounded  near  Atlanta,  Aug.  14,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*JONES,  ANDREW  J.  Enlisted  at  Oakwoods,  Aug.  27,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shi 
loh;  killed  at  Russell's  House,  May  17,  '62. 

KEYES,  WILLIAM  A.  Enlisted  at  De  Kalb,  Oct.  15,  '61;  veteran;  dis 
charged  for  disability  Feb.  19,  '65. 

KLOIDT,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  at  Dement,  Oct.  12, '61;  veteran;  mustered 
out  with  regiment. 


476 


APPENDIX. 


*KURTZ,  SILAS  D.    Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Aug.  8,  '61;  corporal  at  organi 
zation;  killed  at  Shiloh. 
LACEY,  CURTIS  P.    Enlisted July  25, '61;  sergeant  at  organization; 

mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 
LANDY,  JOHN.    Enlisted  at   Lane,  Oct.  4,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh,  and 

discharged  for  wound  Oct.  18,  '62. 
ILAWRENCE,  ELIJAH  C.   Transferred  from  K  as  second-lieutenant,  March 

5,  '62;  wounded  by  bullet  through  both  thighs  at  Shiloh;  resigned  Feb. 

7,  '63.     See  K. 

LAWSON,  LAWRENCE.    Enlisted  at  De  Kalb,  Sept.  10, '61;  veteran;  pro 
moted  corporal;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

LINDSAY,  CHARLES.    Enlisted  at  Malta,  Oct.  8,  '61;  deserted  Aug.  31,  '62. 
*LINDSAY,  OLIVER.    Enlisted  at  Mayfield,  Oct.  i,  '61;  killed  at  Shiloh. 
IMACKEY,  THOMAS  B.    Enlisted  at  Muscatine,  Iowa,  June,  '61;  captain  at 

organization;  resigned  Dec.  26,  '61. 
|McAuLEY,  JOHN  T.    Transferred  from  C  as  captain,  to  date  from  Sept. 

4/62;  detached  as    aid  to  Brig.-Gen.  Giles  A.  Smith,  Aug.  5, '63;  as 

A.  A.  A.  G.,  Aug.  6,  '64;  mustered  out  Nov.  30,  '64.     See  C,  and  Field 

and  Staff. 
*McCARTY,  ALEXANDER.    Enlisted  at  Mayfield,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  wounded  at 

Shiloh,  and  died  of  wound  April  18,  '62. 
MCELROY,  THOMAS.    Enlisted  at  Lane,  Oct.  12,  '61;  discharged  April 

1 6,  '63. 
McKEEN,  SALMON.     Enlisted  at  Dement,  Sept.  10, '61;  discharged  July 

9,  '62. 
|MERRILL,  ALBERT  F.     Enlisted  at  Dement,  Oct.  31,  '61;  first-lieutenant 

at  organization;  mustered  out  by  S.  O.  of  War  Dept.,  for  disability,  at 

Memphis,  April  25,  '63. 

.-MILLER,  JOHN.     Enlisted  at  Mayfield,  Oct.  29,  '61;  deserted  Oct.  i,  '62. 
MILLIGAN,  JOHN  A.     Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  30,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct. 

31/64. 
*MUCKLE,  HUGH.     Enlisted  at  Dement,  Sept.  io,'6i;  shot  by  accidental 

discharge  of  gun  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  March  6,  '62,  and  died  the  next  day. 
MUZZY,  CALEB  W.     Enlisted  at  De  Kalb,  Oct.  29,  '61;  veteran;  promoted 

corporal;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
NARAMORE,  EBEN  F.     Enlisted  at  Malta,  Oct.  8, '61;  veteran;  promoted 

sergeant;  mustered  out  with  regiment.     Died  at  Savannah,  Ga.,  July 

25,  1885. 
OLSEN,  NATHAN.    [Natland,  Wolson,  in  reports.]    Enlisted  at  Chicago, 

Oct.  15,  '61;  deserted  Aug.  31,  '62. 
*PATTERSON,  JOSEPH.     Enlisted  at  Mayfield,  Sept.  10,  '61 ;  died  at  Camp 

Sherman,  Miss.,  Aug.  25,  '63. 

PAYNE,  SAMUEL.     Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Sept.  30,  '61;  corporal  at  organi 
zation;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  mustered  out  as  private  with  regiment. 
*PAYNE,  THADDEUS  N.     Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Sept.  30,  '61 ;  wounded  at 

Shiloh,  and  died  of  wound  April  13,  '62. 
*PEPPER,  STEPHEN  O.    Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Aug.  29,  '62;  died  in  hospital 

at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Aug.  14,  '62. 
PERRY,  SAMUEL.    Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Aug.  30,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh, 

and  discharged  for  wound  Jan.  10,  '63.     Since  died. 
*PETASCH,  PAUL  C.    Enlisted  at  Dement,  Oct.  25,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh, 

and  died  of  wounds  May  6,  '62. 
*PIPER,  JOSEPH.    Enlisted  at  Mayfield,  Sept.  10,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh, 

and  died  of  wound  April  23,  '62. 
*PIPER,  SAMUEL.    Enlisted  at  Mayfield,  Sept.  10,  '61;    died  at  Young's 

Point,  La.,  April  i,'6^. 

PLOQUETT,  HENRY.    Enlisted  at  Malta,  Sept.  25,  '61;  discharged  for  dis 
ability  Dec.  24,  '62. 
*POTTER,  WILLIAM  A.    Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Aug.  29,  '61 ;  wounded  at 


COMPANY    B.  477 

Shiloh;  arm  amputated,  and  died  April  12,  '62. 

*QUINN,  CHARLES.  Enlisted  at  Memphis,  —  '62;  killed  at  Chickasaw 
Bayou  Dec.  28,  '62. 

RAYMOND,  HENRY  C.  Enlisted  at  Dement,  Sept.  10,  '61;  wounded  at 
Shiloh,  and  discharged  for  wound  July  8,  '62. 

*REIMAN,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Oregon,  Oct.  29,  '61;  killed  on  skirmish 
line  at  Shiloh, 

ROBINSON,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Milan,  Mich.,  Oct.  24,  '61;  died  in  hos 
pital  at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  Jan.  8,  '63. 

RULE,  ROBERT.  Enlisted  at  Dement,  Oct.  29,  '61;  wounded  at  Russell's 
House,  May  17,  '62,  and  discharged  for  wound  Sept.  19,  '62. 

SARGENT,  GEORGE  E.  Enlisted  at  Oakland,  Oct.  27,  '61 ;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31,  '64. 

*SELSER,  NICHOLAS.    Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Oct.  15,  '61;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

SHIPMAN,  JOSEPHUS.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Aug.  30, '6 1;  wounded  and 
captured  at  Shiloh,  and  exchanged  Feb.  4,  '63;  mustered  out  Oct.  31/64. 

*SITLER,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  at  Dement,  Oct.  29,  '61;  wounded  at  Shi 
loh;  killed  near  Atlanta,  Aug.  13.  '64. 

ISMITH,  ASAHEL  C.  Enlisted  at  Mayfield,  Oct.  31,  '61;  second-lieutenant 
at  organization;  resigned  March  5,  '62. 

*SMITH,  JAMES.    Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  30,  '61;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

SPRAGUE,  SOLOMON  S.  Enlisted  at  Malta,  Oct.  i,  '61;  corporal  at  organ 
ization;  discharged  for  disability  July  22,  '62. 

*STEPHENSON,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Mayfield,  Sept.  10,  '61;  veteran; 
killed  in  charge  on  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64. 

SULLIVAN,  ALECK.  Enlisted  at  Dement,  Sept.  10,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

SULLIVAN,  DENNIS.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Nov.  i,  '61;  veteran;  promoted 
corporal;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

SWAN,  NELSON.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Chicago,  Feb.  24,  '64;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

*SWISHER,  JOHN.    Recruit; died  in  hospital  at  Memphis,  July  10/63. 

|*THURSTON,  GEORGE  L.  Promoted  from  adjutant  to  captain  March  i, 
'62;  went  home  on  furlough  sick,  July  5,  '62,  and  died  at  Lancaster, 
Mass.,  Dec.  19,  '62,  aged  31  yrs.  See  Field  and  Staff. 

TUIETT,  WALTER.    Enlisted  at  Malta,  Oct.  i,'6i ;  mustered  out  Oct.  31/64. 

VANDERVERT,  CHARLES  S.  Enlisted  at  Grandview;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
veteran;  promoted  sergeant;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

WALROD,  HORACE.  Enlisted  at  Mayfield,  Sept.  10,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shi 
loh,  and  discharged  for  wound  June  25,  '62. 

WARDEN,  EDWARD  H.  Musician;  enlisted  at  Oakland,  Aug.  27,  '61;  pro 
moted  hospital  steward  Jan.  i,  '64.  See  Field  and  Staff. 

WEEDEN,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Mayfield,  Sept.  10,  '61 ;  musician;  trans 
ferred  to  K  Nov.  7,  '6 1.  See  K. 

WELCH,  EDWARD.  Enlisted  at  Malta,  Oct.  i,'6i;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

WELLS,  CHARLES  C.  Enlisted  at  Milan,  Mich.,  Oct.  8,  '61;  veteran;  mus 
tered  out  with  regiment. 

*WILSON,  THOMAS.  Enlisted  at  Dement,  Sept.  10,  '61;  veteran;  wounded 
near  Atlanta,  Aug.  14,  '64;  killed  at  Jonesboro',  Sept.  i,  '64. 

*WiNG,  TURNER.  Enlisted  at  Mayfield,  Sept.  10,  '61 ;  corporal  at  organi 
zation;  wounded  at  Shiloh,  and  died  of  wound  May  17,  '62. 

WOOLEY,  A.  M.  Enlisted  at  Mayfield,  Sept.  30/61 ;  discharged  May  12/62. 
Temporarily  transferred  to  company  to  complete  their  terms  of  enlist 
ment,  from  I27th  111.  Infty.,  and  mustered  out  with  regiment:  Walter  R. 

Brewster,  Alva  C.  Bristow,  Francis  Cooper,  Calvin  C.  Chandler,  Sylvester 

Fielder,  George  W.  C.  Hanson,  Nicholas  Hendrickson,  Enos  Ovitt,  John 

Rains. 


47$  APPENDIX. 

COMPANY  C. 

The  men  composing  Company  C  were  mostly  from  the  towns  of  Du- 
rand,  Harrison  and  Burritt,  in  Winnebago  county,  Illinois!  a  few  were 
from  Wisconsin,  but  all  were  credited  to  the  same  county. 

The  company  was  at  first  known  as  the  Washburn  Rifles,  and  was  or 
ganized  at  Rockford,  Illinois,  September  3,  1861,  by  R.  A.  Bird,  its  first 
captain,  who  had  gained  some  military  experience  during  three  months' 
service  in  the  Eleventh  Illinois  Infantry.  On  September  gth  it  moved  to 
Chicago  and  received  quarters  in  Camp  Douglas.  A  few  of  its  number 
at  the  muster-in  of  the  Forty-second  Illinois,  were  transferred  to  fill  the 
ranks  of  that  regiment.  In  the  equalization  of  companies  at  the  organi 
zation  of  the  Fifty-fifth  several  recruits  were  received  by  transfer  from 
Company  B.  These  men  rendered  as  good  service  as  any  in  the  com 
mand.  When  mustered  the  position  of  color-company  was  assigned  to 
C,  and  in  consequence  of  the  duties  attendant  upon  this  position,  the  com 
pany  was  generally  kept  with  the  regiment,  rarely  taking  part  in  detached 
movements  or  skirmishing.  One  exception  there  was,  at  Arkansas  Post, 
where,  in  conjunction  with  Company  A,  it  was  sent  to  dislodge  the  rebel 
sharp-shooters  who  were  stationed  in  rifle-pits  near  the  river,  and  endeav 
oring  to  pick  off  the  men  upon  the  gunboats.  In  this  service  the  com 
pany  was  subjected  to  a  severe  fire  of  grape  and  canister  from  the 
Confederate  artillery.  The  position  afforded  an  excellent  view  of  the 
tremendous  bombardment  of  the  fort  by  the  gunboats,  during  which  the 
enemy's  guns  were  completely  silenced,  when  the  company  was  with 
drawn  to  join  the  regiment. 

The  company's  loss  at  Shiloh  was  disproportionately  severe,  probably 
from  its  nearness  to  the  colors.  In  that  engagement  it  had  eleven  killed 
and  twenty-seven  wounded.  A  summary  of  its  casualties,  etc.,  during 
the  war  follows:  Killed  in  action,  18;  wounded  mortally,  5;  wounded 
other  than  mortally,  37;  captured,  4;  discharged  because  of  wounds,  5; 
discharged  for  disability,  20;  died  of  disease  while  in  service,  12;  trans 
ferred  for  promotion,  9;  deserted,  7.  There  were  thirteen  pairs  of 
brothers  in  C,  and  one  group  of  three.  Of  the  twenty-nine,  nine  lost  their 
lives  in  battle,  and  seven  others  were  wounded. 

AAGESEN,  NICHOLAS  S.  Enlisted  Oct.  8,  '61;  promoted  corporal  March 
i,  '62;  transferred  for  promotion.  See  H  and  D. 

AINSBURY,  MICHAEL.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  pro 
moted  to  corporal  March  9,  '63;  killed  at  Vicksburg  May  19,  '63. 

ANTHONY,  EDMOND.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  discharged  for  disability 
March  31,  '62. 

AUSTIN,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  veteran;  promoted  corporal  May 
i,  '64;  sergeant,  July  i,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*BABCOCK,  ORIN.     Enlisted  Sept.  8,  '61;  killed  at  Vicksburg  May  19,  '63. 

BAILEY,  ANDREW  W.     Enlisted  Oct.  10,  '61;  deserted  May  25,  '62. 

BARTON,  GEORGE  D.     Enlisted  Oct.  16,  '61;  deserted  Jan.  26,  '62. 

*BENJAMIN,  FILMORE.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  pro 
moted  corporal  March  9,  '63;  died  in  hospital  Oct.  28,  '63. 

|BiRD,  RHENODYNE  A.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  61;  captain  at  organization; 
wounded  at  Shiloh;  resigned  June  6,  '62. 


COMPANY    C.  479 

BISHOP,  ISAAC.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '62;  discharged  for  disability  May  16, 
'65. 

*BODINE,  GEORGE  W.     Enlisted  Jan.  jj,  '64;  died  in  hospital  Feb.  14,  '64. 

BOWEN,  ARDEN  H.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  61;  sergeant  at  organization;  dis 
charged  for  disability  Jan.  28,  '63. 

*BOWEN,  CHARLES  N.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  corporal  at  organization; 
killed  it  Shiloh. 

BROOKS,  OLIVER  S.     Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  discharged  Oct.  31,  '64. 

*BYRNS,  GEORGE.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal  March  2,  '62; 
slightly  wounded  at  Shiloh;  died  of  disease  June  13,  '62. 

ICAPRON.  THADDEUS  H.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  acted  as  quartermaster- 
sergeant  from  Nov.  25,  '62;  promoted  second-lieutenant,  to  rank  from 
Sept.  4, '62;  transferred.  See  Field  and  Staff. 

CHASE,  IRA  G.  W.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  discharged  for  disability  Sept. 
14,  '62. 

CLAPP,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  Oct.  30,  '61 ;  regimental  wagon-master  from 
Nov.  12,  '62;  veteran;  brigade  wagon-master  from  June  19,  '64;  ap 
pointed  division  wagon-master;  discharged  for  disability  June  30,  '65. 

CLEVELAND,  RIENZI  L.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Vicksburg 
May  19,  '63;  promoted  corporal  March  8,  '64;  mustered  out  Oct.  31/64. 

CONNER,  MAURICE.  Enlisted  Oct.  i,  '61;  veteran;  promoted  corporal 
March  8,  '64;  color-sergeant,  Sept.  3,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
Died  in  1878. 

CORCORAN,  EDWARD.  Enlisted  Sept.  9/61;  promoted  corporal  May  i, 
'62;  sergeant,  March  8,  '64;  veteran;  promoted  first-sergeant  July  i, 
'65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

CRANDALL,  JACOB.  Enlisted  Oct.  10, '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  discharged 
for  disability  June  11,  '62. 

*CROWDER,  JOHN  E.     Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  died  in  hospital  Jan.  26,  '62. 

*CROWELL,  BARZILLA.     Enlisted  Oct.  i,  '61;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

*CROWELL,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  veteran;  killed  at  Kene- 
saw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64. 

*CURTISS,  HENRY  C.  Enlisted  Dec.  14,  '61;  veteran;  killed  at  Kenesaw 
Mt.,  June  27,  '64. 

*CURTISS,  JOHN  Q.  A.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  corporal  at  organization; 
promoted  sergeant  March  8, '62;  veteran;  killed  at  Ezra  Chapel  July 
28,  '64. 

DOOLITTLE,  ALONZO  P.  Enlisted  Oct.  23,  '61;  discharged  for  disability 
March  31,  '62. 

*EGGERT,  AUGUSTUS.  Enlisted  Sept.  12,  '61;  mortally  wounded  at  Shi 
loh;  died  May  18,  '62. 

*EGGERT,  MARTIN.     Enlisted  Sept.  12,  '61;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

ELLIOT,  GEORGE  W.     Enlisted  Dec.  14,  '61;  mustered  out  Dec.  31,  '64. 

FISHER,  FRANCIS  P.  Enlisted  Nov.  i,'6i;  transferred  for  promotion. 
See  Field  and  Staff. 

*FLINT,  JAMES  T.  Enlisted  Dec.  5,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh,  taken  pris 
oner,  and  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  before  exchange. 

*FRAZIER,  JAMES  W.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  promoted 
corporal  Nov.  19,  '62;  died  March  5,  '63. 

FRAZIER,  JOHN.  Enlisted  Oct.  11,  '61;  detailed  as  orderly  for  General 
Sherman  from  March  i,  '62,  to  muster  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

GARNER,  JAMES  C.  Enlisted  Oct.  2,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  promoted 
corporal  July  i,  '64;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

*GANOUNG,  MYRON.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  promoted  sergeant  March  8, 
'62;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

GAYLORD,  WILLIAM  E.  H.  Enlisted  Oct.  8,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
discharged  for  disability  June  28,  '63. 

GOAKEY,  THOMAS.  Enlisted  Jan.  5,  '64;  wounded  near  Atlanta,  Aug.  3, 
'64;  mustered  out  with  regiment.  Died  Feb.  3,  1883.  . 


APPENDIX. 

GOAKEY,  AUGUSTUS.    Enlisted  Sept.  9, '61;  veteran;  mustered  out  with 

regiment. 
GOLLOGLY,  PATRICK.    Enlisted  Sept.  10,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  veteran; 

promoted  corporal  July  i,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
GOODWIN,  EARL  P.    Enlisted  Sept.  9, '61;   veteran;  promoted   corporal 

May  i,  '64;  wounded  before  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64;  mustered  out  with 

regiment. 
*GOODWIN,  JAMES  D.    Enlisted  Oct.  17,  '61;  mortally  wounded  at  Shiloh: 

died  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  May  8,  '62. 

HALL,  JOHN  A.    Enlisted  Jan.  23,  '64;  mustered  put  with  regiment. 
*HAMER,   ROBERT  A.    Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61 ;  killed   at  Vicksburg,  May 

19.  '63- 

HARRIS,  EDWARD.    Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

HELGESON,  NELS.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  mustered 
out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

*HELGESON,  OLE.    Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61 ;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

*HELVERSON,  OLE.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  died  in 
hospital  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Feb.  3,  '63. 

HICKOK,  HORACE  T.  Enlisted  Sept.  9, '61;  corporal  at  organization; 
veteran;  musetred  out  with  regiment. 

HILLBERG,  JOHN.  Enlisted  Jan.  22,  '64;  wounded  at  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June 
27,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

|*HODGES,  THEODORE  W.  Enlisted  Sept. -9/61;  sergeant  at  organiza 
tion;  promoted  second-lieutenant,  to  rank  from  March  8,  '62;  mortally 
wounded  at  Shiloh;  died  April  9,  '62.  Reported  among  "killed." 

HOWE,  ORION  P.  Enlisted  Sept.  i,  '62,  as  drummer;  wounded  at  Vicks 
burg,  May  19/63;  promoted  corporal  Dec.  25, '63;  veteran;  wounded 
at  Dallas,  May  28,  '64;  discharged  Oct.  'i,  64,  S.  O.  No.  327,  A.  G.  O. 

HURLBUT,  HENRY  A.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  promoted 
corporal  Nov.  i,  '62;  sergeant,  March  8,  '64;  transferred  by  promotion 
May  4,  '64.  See  Field  and  Staff. 

*JOHNSON,  CALVIN.    Enlisted  Oct.  23,  '61;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

JOHNSON,  CHARLES  E.  Enlisted  Sept.  9, '61;  discharged  for  disability 
July  ii,  '62.  Died  a  few  years  after. 

JOHNSON,  JOHN  A.    Enlisted  Jan.  22,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*JOHNSON,  OSCAR.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  promoted  corporal  July  i, '63; 
killed  at  Ezra  Chapel,  July  28,  '64. 

JOSLIN,  HENRY  H.  Enlisted  Oct.  i,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  veteran; 
promoted  corporal  Nov.  i,  '64;  discharged  for  disability  June  30,  '65. 

*KETTLESON,  CHRISTOPHER.  Enlisted  Sept.  9/61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
died  while  on  sick  furlough,  at  Laona,  111.,  May  22,  '64. 

KEYES,  JOSIAH  E.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  sergeant  at  organization;  trans 
ferred  for  promotion,  March  8,  '62.  See  E. 

IKEYES,  LUTHER  J.  Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  corporal  at  organization;  pro 
moted  sergeant  Nov.  19,  '62;  promoted  first-sergeant  March  8,  '64; 
veteran;  first-lieutenant,  to  rank  from  Aug.  11/64;  mustered  out  with 
regiment. 

*KNAPP,  NATHAN  H.    Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61 ;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

KNUDSON,  OLE.    Enlisted  Sept.  9,  61;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

LARSON,  NELS.     Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61 ;  deserted  June  7,  '62. 

MAHAN,  MICHAEL.  Enlisted  Sept.  9/61;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  veteran; 
promoted  corporal  June  i,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

•fMcAuLEY,  JOHN  T.  Promoted  from  Field  and  Staff  to  second-lieuten 
ant,  to  rank  from  July  1/62;  transferred  for  promotion  Sept.  4/62. 
See  Field  and  Staff,  and  B. 

McGRAW,  THOMAS.    Enlisted  Oct.  2,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

fMclNTOSH,  DANIEL.  Enlisted  Sept.  9/61;  first-lieutenant  at  organiza 
tion;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  mustered  out  by  special  order,  for  disability, 
Nov.  26,  '62. 


COMPANY    C.  481 

NOLING,  CHARLES  R.    Enlisted  Jan.  26,  '64;  wounded  at  Ezra  Church, 

July  28,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
IOLIVER,  ROBERT.    Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  corporal  at  organization;  slight 

ly  wounded  at  Shiloh;  promoted  sergeant  May  I,  '62;  first-sergeant, 

Sept.  i,  '62;  first-lieutenant,  to  rank  from  Nov.  26,  '62;  veteran;  cap 

tain,  Aug.  1  1/64;  right  shoulder  seriously  injured  at  Bentonville,  March 

20,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
PARTCH,  AMBROSE  E.    Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61  ;  first-sergeant  at  organization; 

severely  wounded  at  Shiloh;  discharged  therefor  Aug.  25,  '62. 
PARTCH,  ORVILLE  H.    Enlisted   Sept.  9/61;    corporal  at  organization; 

promoted  sergeant  March  8,  '62;   severely  wounded  in  right  arm  at 

Shiloh;  discharged  therefor  Aug.  5,  '62. 
*PATTERSON,  JOHN  A.    Enlisted  Oct.  16,  '61  ;  wounded  at  Shiloh  and  taken 

prisoner;  died  before  exchange,  at  Macon,  Ga.,  Sept.  18,  '62. 
PETERSON,  ALEX.  W.    Enlisted  Jan.  23,  '64;  wounded  at  Kenesaw,  June 

27,  '64;  deserted  Aug.  4,  '64. 
*PiTTS,  PHILIP.    Enlisted  Nov.  i,  '61  ;  died  of  small-pox  at  Young's  Point, 

La.,  Feb.  14,  '63. 
*PORT,  OCK.    Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61  ;  veteran;  mortally  wounded  at  Ezra 

Chapel,  July  28,  '64;  died  Sept.  26,  '64. 
PORTER,  HAZEN  H.    Enlisted  Sept.  9/61;  musician;  discharged  for  dis 

ability  March  31,  '62. 
*PUTNAM,  GEORGE  W.    Enlisted  Oct.  16/61;  taken  prisoner  at  Shiloh; 

died  in  hospital  Feb.  11,  '64. 

*RAUP,  CHARLES  I.    Enlisted  Oct.  6,  '61;  missing  in  action  at  Shiloh. 
*RAUP,  GEORGE  A.    Enlisted  Oct.  i,  '61  ;  promoted  corporal  March  i,  '62; 

killed  at  Shiloh,  April  7,  '62. 
REAGGER,  HENRY.    Enlisted  Sept.  30,  '61;  veteran;  slightly  wounded  at 

Missionary  Ridge,  Nov.  25,  '63;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
REESE,  JAMES  E.    Enlisted  Oct.  8,  '61;  deserted  Nov.  7,  '61. 
REESE,  NICHOLAS.    Enlisted  Oct.  8,  '61;  deserted  Nov.  7,  '61. 
RILEY,  JAMES  W.    Enlisted  Dec.  i,'6i;  veteran;  promoted  to  corporal; 

mustered  out  with  regiment. 
RILEY,  ROSWELL  J.    Enlisted  Sept.  9/61;  promoted  corporal  March  9, 

'63;  wounded  at  Vicksburg,  May  19,  '63;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 
RILEY,  WILLIAM  A.  V.    Enlisted  Oct.  17/61;  discharged  for  disability 

June  6,  '62. 
ROBB,  PERRY  C.    Enlisted  Oct.  23,  '61  ;  discharged  for  disability  June  3, 

'62.     Died  in  1882. 
ROLAND,  JOHN.    Enlisted  Oct.  8,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64.    Died 

soon  after. 
Ross,  GEORGE.    Enlisted  Feb.  16,  '64;    discharged  for  disability,  May 

25,  '65. 
RUSSELL,  GEORGE  W.    Enlisted  Oct.  2,  '61;  promoted  corporal  March  9, 

'63;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 
*SAMUELSON,  CHARLES.    Enlisted  Feb.  16,  '64;  killed  at  Kenesaw  Mt., 

June  27,  '64. 
SANDERS,  CALVIN  K.    Enlisted  Sept.  26,  '61  ;7.  transferred  for  promotion 

April  i,  '62.     See  Field  and  Staff. 
ISCHULTZ,  THEODORE.    Enlisted  Aug.  27.  '61;  promoted  corporal  March 

1/62;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  promoted   sergeant   Nov.  1/62;  veteran; 

wounded  at  Kenesaw,  June  27,  '64;   first-sergeant  Nov.  i,  '64;  trans 

ferred  for  promotion.     See  Field  and  Staff. 

,  FRANCIS  H.    Transferred  from  D  and  promoted  captain,  to  rank 

' 


from  July  1/62;  dismissed  by  General  O.  O.  Howard,  Aug.  11,  '64,  G. 
F.  O.  No.  9.  Honorably  mustered  out  by  direction  of  the  Secretary  of 
War,  under  provisions  of  an  Act  of  Congress,  approved  Feb.  21,  1887, 
to  date  Aug.  n,  1864.  Special  Orders  No.  83,  Headquarters  of  the 
Army,  Washington,  April  11,  1887. 
32 


482 


APPENDIX. 


*SHEFNER,  ALBERT  B.    Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61 ;  promoted  to  corporal  March 

8,  '62;  died  in  hospital. 

SHIELDS,  DANIEL.      Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  corporal  at  organization;  dis 
charged  for  disability,  Feb.  10,  '63. 

SHIELDS,  JOHN.    Enlisted   Sept.  9,  '61;    sergeant  at  organization;    dis 
charged  for  disability  March  31,  '62. 
SIMCOX,  JACOB.     Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  promoted  corporal  March  8, '62; 

wounded  at  Shiloh,  April  7,  '62;  discharged  therefor  July  19,  '62. 
SNOOK,  WILLIAM.    Enlisted  Sept.  9/61;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  mustered 

out  Oct.  31,  '64. 
*SPEAKER,  WILLIAM  H.    Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  corporal  at  organization; 

died  in  hospital  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Jan.  11,  '62. 

STOTLER,  SAMUEL.    Enlisted  Sept.  20,  '61;  deserted  March  11,  '62. 
STRAWN,  ALONZO.    Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  discharged  for  disability  March 

31,  '62. 
*SULLIVAN,  DANIEL.    Enlisted  Oct.  8, '61;   promoted  corporal  March  I, 

'62;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

*SUMMERS,  THOMAS.    Enlisted  Sept.  30,  '61;  died  in  hospital  Sept.  22,  '62. 
*THOMAS,  TABER  J.    Enlisted  Sept.  20,  '61;  promoted  to  corporal  May  i, 

'62;  sergeant,  May  i, '63;  veteran;  mortally  wounded  near  Jonesboro' 

Ga.,  Aug.  31,  '64;  died  Sept.  3,  '64. 
TURNEY,  CHARLES  G.    Enlisted  Oct.  8,  '61;  promoted  sergeant  March  i, 

'62;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  discharged  therefor  Jan.  28,  '63. 
WESTBROOK,  RICHARD  W.    Enlisted  Sept.  25, '61;  discharged  for  disa 
bility  March  31,  '62. 
WILCOX,  RANSOM  R.    Enlisted   Sept.  9/61;    discharged   for  disability 

June  24,  '62. 

*WINCHESTER,  CLARK  A.    Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  killed  at  Shiloh. 
WOODRING,  HENRY.    Enlisted  Sept.  9,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 
WRIGHT,  ASA  S.     Enlisted    Sept.  9.  '61;    veteran;    promotea   corporal 

March  i,  '64;  wounded  at  Ezra  Chapel,  July  28,  '64;  promoted  sergeant 

Nov.  i,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
WRIGHT,  GEORGE.    Enlisted  Sept.  9/61;  veteran;    promoted  sergeant 

Nov.  1/64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
WRIGHT,  GEORGE   D.    Enlisted   Sept.  20, '61;  veteran;  discharged  for 

disability  June  25,  '65. 

WRIGHT,  JAMES  M.    Enlisted  Sept.  g;'6i;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 
IWRIGHT,  SQUIRE  A.      Enlisted  from  Grand  Haven,  Mich.,  July  28,  '61; 

second-lieutenant  at  organization;  transferred  for  promotion  March  8, 

'62.     See  F. 


COMPANY  D. 

Company  D  was  largely  made  up  from  enlistments  in  Canton,  Fulton 
county,  and  the  neighboring  towns.  Theodore  C.  Chandler,  its  first  cap 
tain,  afterwards  lieutenant-colonel,  was  active  in  the  organization  of  the 
first  company  of  seventeen  men  who  went  from  Canton.  Their  names 
are  as  follows:  T.  C.  Chandler,  W.  L.  Johnson,  Charles  G.  Burnap,  J.  H 
Nies,  J.  R.  Roberts,  Jacob  Fink,  Wm.  J.  Harell,  James  Harell,  James 
HufTord,  Theodore  Wilhelm,  Daniel  S.  Burke,  William  Shellenberger, 
James  Young,  John  Conger,  Thomas  Hughes,  George  Pollett,  and  T. 
Lacy.  They,  arrived  at  old  Camp  Douglas  on  the  I2th  of  September, 
1861.  On  the  22d  another  party  of  nine  men  from  Fulton  county  arrived 
at  Camp  Douglas,  in  charge  of  W.  D.  May.  Capt.  Wm.  A.  Presson  of 


COMPANY    D.  483 

Company  A  was  instrumental  in  recruiting  quite  a  number  of  men  as 
signed  to  this  company.  Joseph  A.  Knott  and  William  Shellenberger 
were  also  active  in  procuring  recruits. 

The  42d  Illinois  Infantry,  when  it  took  the  field,  received  four  volun 
teers  from  D,  and  when  the  55th  was  organized  in  October,  a  portion  of 
the  Mendota  company,  I,  with  Lieut.  Francis  H.  Shaw,  was  consolidated 
with  the  company  in  order  to  complete  the  number  required  for  muster. 

The  personnel  of  the  company  was  excellent,  consisting  almost  wholly 
of  those  who  enlisted  from  patriotic  motives,  and  who  fully  understood 
the  great  issues  of  the  conflict.  Three  of  the  company,  after  their  dis 
charge  by  reason  of  the  expiration  of  three  years'  service,  re-enlisted  in 
other  regiments  — Jacob  Fink  in  the  5th  U.  S.  Vet.  Vols.,  Wm.  J.  Harrell 
in  the  I5ist  111.  Vols.,  and  Timothy  Ryan  in  the  cavalry. 

The  company  participated  in  all  the  hardships  and  sufferings  of  the 
regiment.  Sixteen  of  its  number  re-enlisted  as  veterans.  The  company 
originally  mustered  one  hundred,  and  received  but  five  recruits  after 
leaving  Camp  Douglas.  Mustered  out  at  close  of  the  war,  22.  Its  losses 
were  as  follows:  Killed  in  action,  5;  mortally  wounded,  3;  wounded  not 
mortally,  21;  discharged  for  disability,  16;  died  of  disease,  13;  taken 
prisoners,  9;  deserted,  7. 

•fAAGESEN.  NICHOLAS  S.    Promoted  to  captain  from  H,  to  date  from  Feb. 

9,  '63;  wounded  (right  arm  amputated)  in  charge  on  Little  Kenesaw 

Mt.,  June  27,  '64;  mustered  out  June  17,  '65.     See  C  and  H. 
ABBOTT,  JOSEPH.    Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  8,  '61 ;  mustered  out 

Oct.  31,  '64. 
*ATHEARN,  MAYHEW  C.    Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  8,  '61;  corporal 

at  organization;  promoted  sergeant  in  '62;  killed  at  Jonesboro',  Aug. 

31/64. 

ATHEARN,  JOSIAH  T.  Enlisted  at  Ellisville,  Oct.  8,  '61;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31,  '64. 

BARKLEY,  FLAVIUS  J.  Enlisted  Oct.  2,  '61;  transferred  to  Co.  A,  57th  111. 
Infty.,  Dec.  8, '61. 

*BAYLESS,  WILLIAM.    Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  10,  '61;  died  1862. 

BEECHAM,  EDWARD.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Chicago,  Feb.  22,  '64;  mus 
tered  out  with  regiment. 

BELL,  WILLIAM  H.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  22,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shi- 
loh;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

BONNEY,  SAMUEL  P.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  i8,'6i;  mustered 
out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

BONNEY,  WILLIAM  W.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  8,  '61;  veteran; 
promoted  sergeant;  wounded  at  Jonesboro',  Aug.  31,  '64;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

*BRAGG,  JOSEPH  F.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  22, '61;  died  at  Larkins- 
ville,  Ala.,  Jan.  i,  '64. 

BULGER,  JOHN.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  22,  '61 ;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31/64. 

*BURKE,  DANIEL  S.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12,  '61;  wounded  at  Shi- 
loh;  veteran;  killed  near  Atlanta,  Aug.  12,  '64. 

BURLINGAME,  SAMUEL.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  22,  '61;  dis 
charged  for  disability  Jan.  28,  ,63. 

BURNAP,  CHARLES  G.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12,  '61;  first-sergeant  at 
organization;  discharged  for  disability  in  '62. 

CAMERON,  JAMES  H.    Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  18,  '61;  veteran; 


484 


APPENDIX. 


promoted  corporal;  captured  on  march  through  N.  C.,  March,  '65; 
mustered  out  May  30,  '65. 

CAMPBELL,  WILLIAM  H.  H.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  mus 
tered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

ICHANDLER,  THEODORE  C.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12,  '61;  captain  at 
organization;  promoted  major.  See  Field  and  Staff. 

*CHENHALL,  PHILLIP.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  i,  '61;  died  at  St. 
Louis,  Jan.  10,  '62. 

*CONGER,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12, '61;  died  near  Memphis, 
July  21,  '62. 

*CORDER,  BENJAMIN.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Oct.  5,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal; 
wounded  at  Shiloh  in  three  places;  died  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  Jan.  15,  "64. 

CRISS,  WILLIAM  H.  Enlisted  at  Lewistown,  Sept.  27,  '61;  wounded  at 
Shiloh;  wounded  at  Jonesboro',  Sept.  i,  '64;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

CURFMAN,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  19,  '61;  veteran; 
wounded  near  Atlanta,  Aug.  10,  '64;  promoted  sergeant;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

*CURRY,  JAMES  W.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  16/61;  promoted 
corporal;  killed  at  Vicksburg,  May  19,  '63. 

DAVIS,  BENJAMIN.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  20,  '61 ;  discharged 
for  disability  Feb.  11,  '62. 

*DEWEY,  ANDREW  S.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  18,  '61;  badly 
wounded  at  Shiloh  and  taken  prisoner;  probably  died. 

DODDRIDGE,  PAUL.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Lee,  March  7/65;  mustered 
out  June  8,  '65. 

DUNN,  HENRY.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Truro,  Jan.  9,  '65;  mustered  out  with 
regiment. 

EDWARDS,  CHARLTON  G.  Enlisted  in  Winnebago  county,  Nov.  26, '61; 
veteran;  captured  near  Bentonville,  N.  C.,  March  19/65;  mustered 
out  June  29,  '65. 

ERWIN,  JESSE.    Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  8,  '61.    No  further  record. 

FIELDS,  GEORGE  H.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Aug.  26,  '61.  No  further 
record. 

|FiNK,  JACOB.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12,  '61 ;  corporal  at  organization; 
promoted  sergeant  March,  '62;  second-lieutenant,  to  date  from  Feb.  9, 
'63;  first-lieutenant,  mustered  Sept.  26, '63;  mustered  out  Oct.  31/64. 
Re-enlisted  in  U.  S.  Vet.  Vols.,  March  31,  '65,  and  made  sergeant; 
mustered  out  as  second-lieutenant  April  5,  '66. 

FISHER,  JACOB.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  15/61;  discharged  for 
disability  at  St.  Louis,  '62.  Died  at  Liverpool,  Oct.  i,  1879. 

GOLDEN,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Mendota,  Aug.  26,  '61 ;  discharged  for  disa 
bility  Jan.  28,  '63. 

GOLDING,  JAMES  A.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  10,  '61 ;  discharged  for 
disability  Jan.  28,  '63. 

GOODELL,  JAMES.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Lee,  March 21,  '65;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

GOODELL,  LEVI.  Enlisted  in  McDonough  county,  Oct.  8/61;  veteran; 
promoted  sergeant;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*GOODRICH,  JAMES  M.  Enlisted  in  McDonough  county,  Oct.  9.  '61;  died 
at  Abingdon,  111.,  Oct.  20,  '63. 

*GREATHOUSE,  DANIEL.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  11,  61;  killed 
at  Shiloh. 

GREER,  JAMES  W.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Oct.  n,  '61;  sergeant  at  organi 
zation;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  mustered  out  June  12,  '65,  as  private. 

HALLIBAUGH,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  19/61;  dis 
charged  for  disability  Jan.  28,  '63. 

HARELL,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12,  '61;  corporal  at  organiza 
tion;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  promoted  sergeant;  wounded  in  hand  by 


COMPANY    D.  485 

discharge  of  his  own  gun  at  Chickasaw  Bayou;  veteran;  mustered 
out  with  regiment  as  private. 

HARELL,  WILLIAM  J.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12,  '61;  promoted  cor 
poral;  mustered  out  Oct.  31, '64.  Enlisted  again  in  1515!  111.  Infty., 
and  became  lieutenant. 

HARTSON,  JAMES.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  18, '61;  discharged 
for  disability,  1862. 

HEDGES,  DANIEL.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Oct.  5. '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
transferred  to  V.  R.  C.,  May  31,  '64. 

HIGGINS,  PETER.  Enlisted  at  Havana,  Oct.  15,  '61;  captured  at  Atlanta, 
July  22, '64,  and  exchanged  from  Andersonville;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31.  '64. 

HILL,  SOLOMON.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  8, '61;  discharged  for 
disability  Jan.  28,  '63. 

HUFFORD,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
mustered  out  with  regiment. 

HUGHES,  THOMAS  H.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12, '61;  discharged  for 
disability,  '62.  Enlisted  again  in  iO3d  111.  Infty.,  and  died  at  Camp 
Sherman,  Miss. 

JOHNSON,  JOHN.      Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Aug.  26,  '61.    No  further  record. 

tJoHNSON,  WILLIAM  S.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12, '61;  second-lieu 
tenant  at  organization;  resigned  March  5,  '62. 

JOHNSTON,  THOMAS.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  22/61.  No  further 
record. 

JORDAN,  CHARLES.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  14,  '61 ;  deserted  at 
Shiloh. 

KENT,  HENRY.  Enlisted  in  Mason  county,  Oct.  15,  '61;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31/64. 

*KITTRIDGE,  SAMUEL  M.  Enlisted  in  Mendota,  Oct.  5, '61;  died  at  St. 
Louis. 

KNAPP,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  22,  '61;  corporal  at  organiza 
tion;  wounded  at  Shiloh  in  arm;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

KNIGHT,  SAMUEL.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  11/61;  captured  at 
Shiloh,  and  exchanged  '63;  veteran;  promoted  corporal;  wounded  at 
Atlanta,  July  22,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

KNOTT,  JOSEPH  A.  Enlisted  at  Ellisville,  Oct.  8,  '61;  corporal  at  organi 
zation;  discharged  for  disability  Jan.  28,  '63. 

LACEY,  THOMAS.  Enlisted  in  Cook  county,  Oct.  3,  '61 ;  deserted  at  Chick 
asaw  Bayou,  Jan.  29,  '63;  captured  and  sentenced;  deserted  again  at 
Memphis,  Oct.  4,  '64. 

LAMOND,  WILLIAM.     Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Oct.  4,  '61.    No  further  record. 

LASWELL,  JAMES.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  8,  '61 ;  deserted  at 
Arkansas  Post,  Jan.  10,  '63.  Died  since  the  war. 

LEMBKE,  GEORGE  A.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Chicago,  Feb.  20,  '64;  captured 
at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64;  exchanged  in  September,  from  Andersonville; 
mustered  out  with  regiment. 

LETTS,  WILLIAM  H.  Enlisted  at  Mendota,  Sept.  26, '6 1;  deserted  at 
Arkansas  Post,  Jan.  10,  '63. 

MAY,  WILLIAM  D.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  22/61;  wounded  at  Love- 
joy  Station,  Ga.,  Sept.  3,  '64;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

MCKEIGHAN,  DAVID.  Enlisted  in  McDonough  county,  Oct.  9/61;  vet 
eran;  wounded  at  Kenesaw  Mt,  June  25,  '64;  promoted  sergeant;  mus 
tered  out  with  regiment. 

MCKEIGHAN,  ROBERT.  Enlisted  in  McDonough  county,  Oct.  15,  '61; 
deserted  near  Raymond,  Miss.,  May  15,  '63. 

*MICHAELS,  FREDERICK  A.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  24,  '61;  died 
soon  after  Shiloh,  '62. 

MORGAN,  MARMADUKE.  Enlisted  in  Mason  county,  Oct.  18,  '61.  No 
further  record. 


486 


APPENDIX. 


MORRIS,  ASA.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  22,  '61;  corporal  at  organization; 
promoted  sergeant;  in  color-guard;  veteran;  promoted  first-sergeant; 
mustered  out  with  regiment.  Died  July  17,  1886. 

MYERS,  ANDREW.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Aug.  26,  '61;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31,  '64. 

NEWTON,  T.  ).,  JR.  Enlisted  in  Hancock  county,  Oct.  22,  '61.  No  further 
record. 

NIES,  JAMES  H.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12,  '61;  sergeant  at  organiza 
tion;  promoted  first-sergeant;  mustered  out  Nov.  i,  '64. 

PADEN,  ALBERT  F.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  27,  '61;  wounded  in 
hand  at  charge  on  Little  Kenesaw,  June  27,  04;  mustered  out  June 
17,  '65. 

PARKER,  GEORGE  T.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  ii,'6i;  deserted 
at  Arkansas  Post,  Jan.  10,  '63. 

PARVIN,  FRELINGHUYSEN.  Enlisted  at  Knoxville,  Oct.  9, '61;  musician; 
veteran;  captured  at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64;  exchanged  from  Anderson- 
ville;  mustered  out  with  regiment.  Died  since  war. 

PATNER,  HENRY.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  29,  '61;  taken  prisoner 
at  Shiloh;  exchanged,  and  discharged  soon  after. 

PATTERSON,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  in  Mason  county,  Oct.  15,  '61;  dis 
charged  for  disability,  '62.  Died  since. 

POLLETT,  GEORGE.    Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct. 

31.  '64- 

POTTER,  MILTON  M.  Enlisted  at  Mendota,  Aug.  26,  '61;  musician;  vet 
eran;  promoted  quartermaster-sergeant.  See  Field  and  Staff. 

^ROBERTS,  JOSEPH  R.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12,  '61;  sergeant  at  or 
ganization;  promoted  first-lieutenant,  to  date  July  1/62;  mustered  out 
for  disability  at  Memphis,  to  date  from  Nov.  26,  62. 

*RODENBAUGH,  Louis  N.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  22,  '61 ;  wound 
ed  at  Shiloh,  and  died  of  wound  at  Quincy,  111.,  Nov.  16,  '62. 

*Ross,  WILLIAM  A.    Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  22,  '61;  died  '62. 

RYAN,  TIMOTHY.    Enlisted  at  Mendota,  Aug.  26,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct. 

31.  '64. 

SAVILLE,  EDWARD.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  22,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh 
and  discharged  for  wound. 

SEBREE,  PRESTON.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  22,  '61 ;  discharged 
for  disability,  '62. 

JSHAW,  FRANCIS  H.  Enlisted  at  Mendota,  Oct. '61;  first-lieutenant  at  or 
ganization;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  transferred  to  C  as  captain.  See  C. 

SHAW,  HIRAM.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  19,  '61 ;  veteran;  mustered 
out  with  regiment. 

*SHAW,  JAMES.    Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  21,  '61;  died  '62. 

*SHELLENBERGER,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12,  '61 ;  killed  at 
Shiloh. 

SHENEMAN,  JOHN.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  17,  '61;  veteran;  cap 
tured  at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64,  and  exchanged  from  Andersonville  in 
September;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

SHOUP,  AZEL  D.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  22,  '61;  veteran;  mus 
tered  out  with  regiment. 

*SMITH,  GEORGE.  Enlisted  at  Mendota,  Oct.  12,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh, 
arm  amputated,  captured,  and  died  a  prisoner. 

SMITH,  HARRISON.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  27,  '61;  discharged 
for  disability  Jan.  28,  '63. 

ISMITH,  HENRY  A.  Transferred  from  K  as  second-lieutenant,  to  date 
from  July  i,  '62;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  resigned  Feb.  9,  '63.  See  K. 

*SNOW,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  in  Michigan,  Sept.  26, '61;  died  at  Moscow, 
Tenn.,  June,  '62. 

STUBBS,  JAMES.    Enlisted  at  Mendota,  Aug.  26,  '61.    No  further  record. 


COMPANY    E.  487 

THOMPSON,  STEPHEN  L.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  22,  '61 ;  died  at  Camp 
Douglas,  Dec.  26,  '61. 

TWITCHELL,  SHERMAN  B.  Enlisted  at  Mendota,  Aug.  26, '61;  deserted 
Nov.  18,  '61,  at  Camp  Douglas. 

VICE,  GAINES  B.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  22,  '61 ;  transferred  to  V.  R. 
C.,  May  31,  '64.  Died  in  Adair  county,  Mo.,  Feb.  8,  1882. 

VAUGHAN,  JOB.  Enlisted  at  Liverpool,  Sept.  22,  '61 ;  sergeant  at  organi 
zation;  mustered  out  as  private  Nov.  I,  '64. 

*WHITE,  T.  J.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  8,  '61 ;  died  at  Camp  Doug 
las,  Dec.  26,  '61. 

WIKIEL,  JOHN  W.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Oct.  9,  '61;  discharged  for 
disability,  '62. 

WILHELM,  THEODORE.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12,  '61;  corporal  at  or 
ganization;  promoted  sergeant;  mustered  out  Nov.  i,  '64. 

fWoopiNG,  ISAAC.  Enlisted  at  Mendota,  Oct.  12,  '61;  corporal  at  organ 
ization;  veteran;  promoted  sergeant;  first-sergeant;  first-lieutenant, 
to  date  May  19,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment.  Died  since  the  war. 

YATES,  THOMAS  J.  Enlisted  in  Mason  county,  Oct.  18, '61;  discharged 
for  disability.  Died  since  the  war. 

YOUNG,  JAMES.    Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  12,61;  discharged  for  disabili 
ty,  '62.     Died  since  the  war. 
The  following  were  transferred  from  12/th  111.  Infantry  to  complete 

term  of  service,  and  mustered  out  with  regiment:  Henry  Haeger,  Thomas 

J.  Wilkins. 


COMPANY    E. 

This  organization  was  recruited  principally  from  the  counties  of  Du 
Page  and  Kane.  The  DuPage  division  came  from  the  towns  of  Naper- 
ville,  Downer's  Grove  and  York,  and  the  Kane  men  from  Elgin  and  its 
neighborhood.  Mr.  Birdsall,  William  Shimp  and  Henry  Dixon  were  ac 
tive  in  enlisting  the  Du  Page  company,  the  first  being  chosen  captain  and 
the  others  first  and  second  lieutenants.  They  joined  the  troops  then  in 
old  Camp  Douglas,  and  when  the  42d  111.  Infty.  took  its  departure,  Wm. 
Shimp  and  five  others  went  with  it.  The  remaining  men,  with  the  recruits 
from  Elgin,  were  consolidated,  and  at  a  formal  election  made  choice  of 
Charles  Tazewell  for  captain,  Henry  Dixon  for  first-lieutenant,  William 
Halligan  for  second-lieutenant,  and  Jonas  L.  Buck  for  orderly-sergeant. 

The  company  was  as  a  whole  a  fine  body  of  young  men.  Among 
them  were  heroes  and  a  few  cowards  —  men  that  the  most  expert  tactician 
with  all  his  ar-t  could  not  decoy  into  a  battle;  but  as  a  body  they  were 
good  and  true  patriot  soldiers.  No  march  was  too  long  or  too  fast  for 
them,  no  fort  or  battle-line  too  formidable  for  them  to  attack.  When 
volunteers  were  called  for  to  lead  the  forlorn  hope  at  Vicksburg,  on  May 
22,  1863,  three  men  from  Company  E  stepped  from  the  ranks.  Their 
names  were  William  C.  Porter,  John  Warden  and  John  Smith.  The  last 
two  were  wounded,  Smith  mortally.  Captain  Porter  was  killed  in  1864, 
when  leading  his  company  in  the  charge  upon  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.  Por 
ter  was  the  friend  of  all  who  did  their  duty,  and  always  exacted  it  of  his 
men.  He  was  a  fearless  soldier,  and  died  universally  lamented  among 
his  comrades. 


APPENDIX. 

Oliver  Erickson,  who  was  killed  commanding  the  company,  August  3, 
1864,  before  Atlanta,  is  deserving  of  special  mention  as  a  brave  soldier 
and  true  man. 

The  company  went  into  the  charge  upon  Little  Kenesaw  with  twenty- 
seven  men  all  told,  and  lost  ten  of  its  number  —  six  killed  and  four 
wounded.  It  was  on  picket  at  the  time  of  Hood's  assault  upon  the  Army 
of  the  Tennessee,  July  22,  1864,  and  behaved  with  great  coolness  and 
credit. 

The  war  losses  of  E  were:  Killed,  8;  mortally  wounded,  4;  wounded 
not  mortally,  18;  discharged  for  wounds,  4;  died  of  disease,  7;  captured, 
5;  discharged  for  disability,  15;  deserted,  6.  The  number  upon  original 
roster  was  but  87,  and  it  received  but  nine  recruits. 

ABBOTT,  JESSE.    Enlisted  at  Clintonville,  Sept.  27,  '61;  deserted. 
ARNDT,  HUGO.    Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Oct.  16, '61 ;  promoted  corporal; 

wounded  at  Vicksburg,  May  ig,  '63;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 
BAIGER,  DEDRIC.    Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  6,  '61;  veteran;  absent 

sick  at  muster  out  of  regiment. 
BANGS,  GEORGE  W.    Enlisted  at  Elgin,  Aug.  14,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct. 

31/64. 
BAUMAN,  JOHN  F.    Enlisted  at  Elgin,  Aug.  14,  '61;  mustered  out  April 


BENIE,  HENRY.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  15/61;  seriously  wounded 
at  Shiloh;  veteran;  promoted  corporal;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*BOND,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Bloomingdale,  Aug.  1/61;  wounded  at 
Chickasaw  Bayou,  Dec.  28,  '62,  and  died  of  wound  Feb.  27,  '63. 

BOULTINGHAUSE,  AMOS.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  6,  '61 ;  mustered 
out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

|BucK,  JONAS  L.  Enlisted  at  Belvidere,  July  30,  '61;  first-sergeant  at  or 
ganization;  promoted  second-lieutenant,  March  5,  '62;  dismissed  for" 
cowardice  Sept.  16,  '62. 

BUNKLE,  JAMES.    Enlisted  in  Iowa,  Sept.  9,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

*CAMPBELL,  THOMAS.  Enlisted  at  Clintonville,  Aug.  26,  '61 ;  died  at 
Chattanooga,  Jan.  I,  '64. 

CANFIELD,  ELAN  T.  Enlisted  at  Batavia,  Aug.  1/61 ;  transferred  as  hos 
pital  steward.  See  Field  and  Staff. 

CLEAVES,  CHARLES.    Enlisted  at  Elgin,  July  30,  '61 ;  deserted  May  25,  '62. 

COLLINS,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Belvidere,  Oct.  3,  '61 ;  veteran;  mustered 
out  with  regiment. 

CONNAUGHTON,  ROGER.  Enlisted  at  Deerfield  Aug.  4,  '61;  corporal  at 
organization;  promoted  sergeant;  veteran;  injured  by  cars  at  Big 
Shanty,  Ga., — ,  '64;  discharged  for  disability  Feb.  14,  '65. 

CONNAUGHTON,  THOMAS.  Enlisted  at  De  Kalb,  Aug.  4,  '61 ;  discharged 
for  disability. 

•fCooTES,  WILLIAM  F.  Transferred  from  A  as  captain,  to  date  from  Oct. 
i,  '62;  wounded  at  Chickasaw  Bayou,  Dec.  28,  '62,  and  resigned  there 
for  March  30,  '63.  See  A. 

CORBY,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  at  Elgin,  July  30,  '61;  corporal  at  organization; 
served  in  color-guard;  veteran;  wounded  in  charge  on  Little  Kene 
saw,  June  27,  '64,  and  discharged  therefor  Jan.  25,  '64.  Died  in  1885, 
at  Elgin. 

DAILY,  ANDREW.    Enlisted  at  Chicago.  Sept.  6,  '61.    No  further  record. 

DAVIS,  DANIEL.  Enlisted  at  Clintonville,  Aug.  14,  '61;  mustered  out  July 
19,  '65. 

|DixoN,  ROBERT.    Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept,  3,  '61 ;  corporal  at  organ- 


COMPANY    E.  489 

ization;    promoted  sergeant  and  first-sergeant;   veteran;   captain,  to 
date  from  June  27,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
H. 


N,  WILLIAM  H.    Enlisted  from  Du  Page  county;  first-lieutenant  at 

organization;  resigned  March  13/62. 
DONOVAN,  TIMOTHY.    Enlisted  at  Elgin,  Oct.  21,  '64.    No  further  record. 
DOWNES,  WILLIAM.    Enlisted  at  Elgin,  Aug.  i,  '61;  discharged  for  disa 

bility  Dec.  23,  '63. 
*DOWNING,  SAMUEL.    Enlisted  at  Bloomingdale,  Oct.  3,  '61;  captured  at 

Shiloh,  and  died  at  Tuscaloosa,  Ala.,  before  exchange. 
DOWNING,  WILLIAM.      Enlisted  at  Bloomingdale,  Aug.  14,  '61;  veteran; 

promoted  corporal;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
|*ERICKSON,  OLIVER.    Transferred  from  A  as  first-lieutenant,  to  date 

from  Sept.  26,  '62;  killed  in  action  near  Atlanta,  Aug.  3,  '64. 
FLATRO,  JACOB.    Enlisted  at  Elgin,  Oct.  3,  '61  ;  corporal  at  organization. 

No  further  record. 

FLORENCE,  ROBERT  K.    Enlisted  at  Elgin,  Aug.  i,'6i.  No  further  record. 
*FRAZIER,  EDMUND.    Enlisted  at  Bloomingdale,  Sept.  17,  '61;  killed  at 

Shiloh. 
*GARBS,  DIEDRICK.    Enlisted  at  Naperville,   Sept.  16,  '61;   wounded  by 

shell  at  Arkansas  Post,  Jan.  10,  '63,  and  died  of  wound  Jan.  26.  '63. 
GARST,  CHRISTIAN.    Enlisted  at  Elgin,  Sept.  6,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 

veteran;  discharged  for  disability  Nov.  11,  '64.     Died  in  1885. 
*GLEISNER,  ADAM.    Enlisted  at   Naperville,  Sept.  9,  '61;  veteran;  pro 

moted  corporal;  killed  in  charge  on  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64. 
GUBBINS,  JAMES  D.    Enlisted  at  Elgin,  July  30,  '61  ;   mustered  out  Oct. 

31/64. 

GUILFOIL,  JOHN.    Enlisted  at  Elgin,  Oct.  29,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct.  31/64. 
GUILFOIL,  MICHAEL.    Enlisted  at  Elgin,  July  30,  '61  ;  musician;  promoted 

principal  musician.     See  Field  and  Staff'. 
GUSHARD,  EMANUEL.     Enlisted  at   Naperville,   Nov.  18,  '61;    captured 

Nov.  3,  '63.     No  further  record. 
GUSHARD,  ISAAC.    Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  3,  '61  ;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 

veteran;  absent  sick  at  muster  out  of  regiment. 
IHALLIGAN,  WILLIAM  R.    Enlisted  at  Elgin;   second-lieutenant  at  or 

ganization;  resigned  March  5,  '62. 
HAYES,  EDWARD.    Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Oct.  3,  '61;  veteran;  mustered 

out  with  regiment. 
REDDING,  GEORGE.    Enlisted   at  Elmwood,  Sept.  20,  '6  1.    No  further 

record. 

HILL,  ANDREW.    Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Nov.  2,  '61;  deserted  Jan.  20,  '62. 
HILL,  MERRITT.    Enlisted  at  Belvidere,  July  30,  '61;  discharged  for  disa 

bility  Jan.  28,  '63. 
HOLDEN,  WILLIAM.    Enlisted  at  Elmwood,  Aug.  i,'6i;  discharged  for 

disability  Tan.  28,  '63. 
*HUNTER,  JO'HN.    Enlisted  at  Gilbert,  Sept.  27,  '61;  reported  discharged; 

died  soon  after. 
JOHNSON,  HENRY.    Recruit;  enlisted  at  Chicago,  Jan.  22,  '64;  wounded  in 

charge  on  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64;  discharged  for  wound  Jan. 

5.  '65. 
KAILER,  FREDERICK.    Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  3,  '61;  promoted  cor 

poral;  sergeant;  veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
KAISER,  HENRY.    Enlisted  at  York,  Aug.  28,  '61  ;  promoted  corporal  June 

'62;  veteran;  promoted  sergeant;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
KELLY,  DENNIS.    Enlisted  at  Belvidere,  Aug.  14,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct. 

31.  '64- 

*KELLOGG,  SAMUEL  C.    Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  25,  '61;  sergeant  at 

organization;  died  at  Vicksburg,  July  18,  '63. 
KENNEDY,  JAMES.    Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  8,  '61  ;  captured  at  Shiloh 

and  exchanged;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 
33 


49°  APPENDIX. 

•fKeyes,  Josiah  E.  Transferred  from  C  as  first-lieutenant,  to  date  from 
March  13,  '62;  mustered  out  April  24,  '63. 

KNEUDSON,  SILVERT.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Nov.  30, '61;  veteran;  de 
serted  June,  '64. 

LEIBUNDGUTH,  CHRISTOPHER.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  6,  '61 ;  pro 
moted  corporal;  sergeant;  veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
Killed  at  Homewood,  1880. 

LEIBUNDGUTH,  PETER.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Chicago,  Feb.  25,  '64;  pro 
moted  corporal;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*LIGHTFOOT,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  at  Elgin,  Sept.  7,  '61 ;  corporal  at  organi 
zation;  died  at  Young's  Point,  La.,  March  6,  '63. 

LUNDBORG,  JOHAN.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Jefferson,  Feb.  i,  '64;  captured 
at  Atlanta,  July  22/64,  and  exchanged  from  Andersonville;  mustered 
out  with  regiment. 

MANN,  THOMAS.  Enlisted  at  Elgin,  July  30,  '61;  transferred  to  V.  R.  C., 
April  28,  '64. 

MARTIN,  PORTER  B.  Enlisted  in  Du  Page  county,  Sept.  3,  '61;  corporal 
at  organization;  discharged  for  disability  Jan.  28,  '63. 

*MERRILL,  CHARLES.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Oct.  22, '61;  promoted  cor 
poral;  veteran;  killed  in  charge  on  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64. 

MISNER,  ANDREW.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  19/61;  veteran;  mus 
tered  out  with  regiment. 

MONTGOMERY,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Dec.  13/61;  veteran;  dis 
charged  for  disability  June  25,  "65. 

*MORAN,  PATRICK.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  21.  '61;  killed  in  charge 
on  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64. 

NELSON,  HORATIO.    Enlisted  at  Elgin,  July  30,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct. 

3i» '64- 

NELSON,  OLOF.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Jefferson,  Feb.  i,  '64;  promoted 
sergeant;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

NICHOLS,  THOMAS.  Enlisted  at  Peoria,  Aug.  i,  '61;  wounded  at  Ezra 
Chapel,  July  28,  '64;  mustered  out  June  i,  '65. 

*O'BRiEN,  DANIEL.  Enlisted  at  Lockport,  Sept.  19,  '61 ;  died  at  Memphis 
Dec.  16,  '62. 

*PECOR,  FRANKLIN.  Enlisted  at  Huntley,  Aug.  10, '61;  corporal  at  or 
ganization;  promoted  sergeant;  wounded  at  Vicksburg,  May  19,  '63; 
died  at  Memphis,  Oct.  18,  '63. 

PECOR,  NELSON  W.  Enlisted  at  Dundee,  Sept.  27,  '61 ;  veteran;  promoted 
corporal;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

PICKETT,  CHRISTOPHER.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Chicago,  March  10,  '64; 
mustered  out  with  regiment. 

POPP,  MARTIN.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  20,  '61 ;  lost  leg  at  Vicks 
burg,  May  22,  '63,  by  cannon  snot;  discharged  for  wound  Sept.  26,  '63. 

|*PORTER,  WILLIAM  C.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  3,  '61 ;  sergeant  at 
organization;  promoted  first-sergeant;  second-lieutenant,  to  date  from 
Sept.  17,  '62;  captain,  to  date  from  April  i,  '63;  in  forlorn  hope  at 
Vicksburg,  May  22,  '63;  killed  at  Kenesaw  Mt.,  in  charge  of  June 
27,  '64. 

*QUIGLEY,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Oct.  3,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
killed  in  charge  on  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64. 

QUIGLEY,  PATRICK.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Memphis,  '62;  wounded  in 
charge  on  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regi 
ment. 

*REALS,  EDWARD.  Enlisted  at  Belvidere,  July  30,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shi 
loh,  and  died  of  wound  at  Cincinnati,  '62. 

REINOEHL,  HENRY.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Nov.  i,'6i;  veteran;  pro 
moted  sergeant;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

REINHOLD,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Nov.  '61 ;  discharged  for  dis 
ability  Jan.  28,  '63. 


COMPANY    F.  491 

REYNOLDS,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Nov.  18,  '61.  No  further 
record. 

RHODEMEYER,  HENRY.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  14, '61;  veteran; 
mustered  out  with  regiment. 

ROBINSON,  JAMES.    Enlisted  at  Elgin,  Aug.  i,'6i.    No  further  record. 

*SCHOENING,  DIEDRICH.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  5/61;  veteran; 
killed  in  charge  on  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64. 

SHORT,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Elgin,  July  30, '61;  corporal  at  organiza 
tion;  deserted  Feb.  '64. 

SIMPSON,  ELBRIDGE.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  July  30,  '61;  sergeant  at 
organization;  discharged  for  disability,  '63. 

SLADE,  JOHN  P.  Enlisted  at  Palatine,  Sept.  i,'6i;  sergeant  at  organiza 
tion.  No  further  record. 

*SMITH,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Elgin,  Sept.  7,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  wound 
ed  in  storming  party  at  Vicksburg,  May  22,  '63,  and  died  of  wounds 
June  22,  '63. 

STELLING,  RICHARD.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Nov.  3,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shi 
loh;  discharged  for  disablility. 

STRICKER,  DAVID.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  3,  '61 ;  discharged  for 
disability  Jan.  28,  '63. 

SWANSON,  NELSON.  Enlisted  in  Cook  county,  Aug.  24,  '61;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31/64. 

SYLVA,  CHARLES.    Enlisted  in  Kane  county,  Sept.  7,  '61 ;  deserter. 

ITAZEWELL,  CHARLES.  Enlisted  at  Elgin,  July,  '61;  captain  at  organi 
zation;  resigned  Aug.  31,  '62. 

TEISEL,  HENRY.    Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  6, '61;  mustered  out  Oct. 

3l» '6*. 

THOMPSON,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Dundee,  Sept.  7,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shi 
loh,  and  discharged  for  wound  Jan.  28,  '63. 

*TIMKIE,  HERMAN.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Oct.  16, '61;  died  at  Napol 
eon,  Ark.,  Jan.  17.  '63. 

UTTER,  NELS  G.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Jefferson,  Feb.  1/64;  discharged 
for  disability  June  25,  '65. 

VEITH,  FREDERICK.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Chicago,  Feb.  25, '64;  captured 
at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64;  exchanged  from  Andersonville;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

^WARDEN,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Naperville,  Sept.  3,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal; 
sergeant,  Dec.  '63;  wounded  in  storming  party  at  Vicksburg,  May  22, 
'63;  veteran;  wounded  at  Ezra  Chapel,  July  28,  '64;  promoted  first- 
lieutenant,  to  date  Aug.  3,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

WARDEN,  MOSES.    Enlisted  in  Du  Page  county,  Sept.  3/61;  veteran; 
wounded  near  Atlanta  in  action  of  Aug.  3,  '64;  mustered  out  with  reg 
iment. 
The  following  men  of  I27th  111.  Infty.  were  temporarily  attached  to 

E,  to  serve  out  their  term  of  enlistment:    John  Blake,  George  O.  Briggs, 

Wilson  Briggs,  John  Burke,  Joseph  Dorn,  Joseph  Fleury,  Thomas  W. 

Mullenix. 


COMPANY    F. 

This  company  was  recruited  in  McDonough  county,  111.,  and  called 
the  Bushnell  Light  Guards  in  honor  of  the  town  in  which  it  was  organ 
ized.  The  largest  share  of  the  work  of  enlistment  was  done  by  the  Rev 
erends  William  A.  Presson,  Milton  L.  Haney  and  Harrison  Presson,  three 
enthusiastic  and  patriotic  ministers  of  the  Methodist  faith.  Rev.  W.  A. 
Presson  was  at  the  time  captain  of  a  company  afterwards  known  as  A  in 


492  APPENDIX. 

the  55th  infantry,  and  already  in  Camp  Douglas.  Rev.  M.  L.  Haney  and 
H.  Presson,  being  in  charge  of  adjacent  circuits,  had  conferred  with  each 
other  and  resolved  to  enter  the  military  service  together.  The  eloquent 
efforts  of  these  three  ministers,  aided  by  certain  soldierly  exhibitions  of 
Lieutenant  Palmer  and  Corporal  J.  H.  Presson,  with  a  specimen  of  the 
famous  revolving  rifle — the  weapon  with  which  all  recruits  were  promised 
they  should  be  armed  —  secured  eighty  enlistments  between  October  3d 
and  nth,  from  the  towns  of  Bushnell,  Prairie  City  and  Marietta. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  nth  an  election  for  officers  and  non-commis 
sioned  officers,  was  held  near  what  is  now  West  Park  in  Bushnell,  which 
resulted  in  the  choice  of  M.  L.  Haney  as  captain,  H.  Presson  as  first-lieu 
tenant,  Joseph  W.  Parks  as  second-lieutenant,  and  James  M.  Shreves  as 
orderly-sergeant.  On  the  evening  of  Saturday,  the  I2th,  several  other 
recruits  having  been  enrolled,  the  company  started  for  Chicago.  The 
captain  was  presented  with  an  elegant  sword,  and  the  company  with  a 
national  flag  by  the  citizens,  hundreds  of  whom  assembled  at  the  station 
to  bid  the  soldiers  good  bye.  Upon  the  muster-in  of  the  55th,  the  Bush 
nell  Light  Guards  became  Company  F  of  that  regiment. 

March  14,  1862,  Captain  Haney  was  persuaded  to  resign  and  accept 
the  post  of  regimental  chaplain.  Lieutenant  Presson  had  left  the  regi 
ment  a  few  days  earlier.  Second-Lieutenant  Squire  A.  Wright  of  Com 
pany  C,  was  thereupon  made  captain  of  F  against  the  urgent  remon 
strance  of  the  whole  company,  in  which  there  was  abundance  of  excellent 
material  for  officers.  Lieutenant  Parks  was  at  the  same  date  promoted 
one  step,  and  Sergeant  J.  B.  Johnson  of  Company  A,  was  appointed  to  the 
vacant  place  of  second-lieutenant.  July  I,  1862,  Casper  Schliech  of 
Company  A,  was  promoted  to  the  captaincy,  made  vacant  by  the  death 
of  Captain  Wright,  and  Lieutenant  L.  B.  Crooker  of  Company  I,  was  pro 
moted  to  the  same  position,  after  Captain  Schliech  had  fallen  in  battle. 
The  four  officers  thus  transferred  to  Company  F  were  the  only  ones  it 
had,  not  from  its  own  ranks.  They  were  all  brave  and  efficient,  filling 
their  positions  with  great  credit.  Captains  Wright  and  Schliech  lost 
their  lives  leading  their  men  in  battle,  and  Captain  Crooker  was  disabled 
by  wounds. 

Company  F  was  with  the  regiment  on  every  occasion,  excepting  during 
the  short  and  bloodless  expedition  to  Columbus,  Ky.  Sixteen  of  its  mem 
bers  re-enlisted  at  the  end  of  their  three  years'  service.  Giles  F.  Hand 
rose  from  its  ranks  to  be  the  last  major  of  the  regiment.  Six  of  its  mem 
bers  were  transferred  as  officers  to  other  organizations.  There  were  in 
it  eleven  pairs  and  one  group  of  three  brothers; — of  the  twenty-five,  two 
were  killed  in  action,  two  mortally  wounded,  three  died  of  disease,  and 
ten  others  were  struck  by  rebel  missiles.  One  hundred  and  fourteen 
names  in  all  were  borne  upon  the  company  rolls;  among  them  were  the 
following  casualties:  Killed  in  action,  10;  wounded,  43;  died  of  wounds, 
6;  died  of  disease,  16;  discharged  for  wounds,  12;  discharged  for  other 
disability,  20;  captured,  2;  deserted,  3;  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.,  5;  re 
signed,  4. 


COMPANY    F.  493 

BEADLES,  JOSEPH  H.  Enlisted  at  Marietta,  Oct.  4/61 ;  corporal  at  or 
ganization;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  discharged  for  disability,  Dec.  6,  '62. 

tBENTON,  JOSHUA  R.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  4,  '61 ;  severely  wounded 
at  Shiloh;  promoted  first-sergeant  April  12/64;  commissioned  first- 
lieutenant,  to  date  from  Oct.  31,  '63,  and  commission  declined;  mus 
tered  out  with  regiment. 

BEVANS,  CORYDON.  Enlisted  at  Marietta,  Nov.  26/61;  discharged  for 
disability,  at  St.  Louis,  June  10,  '62. 

BOND,  BENJAMIN  F.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  12/61;  discharged  for 
disability,  at  Camp  Douglas,  Nov.  20,  '61. 

*BONE,  GEORGE.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  1 1/61 ;  severely  wounded 
at  Shiloh;  wounded  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  July  14,  '63,  and  died  same  day. 

BOOTH,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  10,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31,  '64. 

BRADY,  ARCHIBALD  C.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  5,  '61;  captured  at 
Shiloh,  and  exchanged.  No  further  record. 

•J-*BRINK,  VINCENT  E.  Enlisted  at  Marietta,  Oct.  3,  '61 ;  sergeant  at  or 
ganization;  promoted  second-lieutenant,  to  date  from  Sept.  4/62;  cap 
tain,  to  date  from  Aug.  3,  '63;  died  of  fever  at  luka,  Miss.,  Oct.  31,  '63. 

*BRUNER,  EDWARD  M.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7,  '61 ;  died  at  Camp 
Sherman,  Miss.,  Sept.  12/63,  °f  fever. 

*CARNES,  WILLIAM  H.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  8,  '61;  died  of  fever 
at  St.  Louis,  June  27,  '62. 

CARRIER,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  11,  '61;  promoted  corporal 
March  31,  '63;  veteran;  promoted  sergeant  March  30,  '64;  first-ser 
geant,  May  15,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*COGILL,  WILLIAM  H.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7,  '61;  wounded  at 
Shiloh;  died  of  congestive  chill,  July  4,  '63,  near  Vicksburg. 

COLLIER.  WILLIAM.    Enlisted  at  Marietta,  Oct.  5,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct. 

31*  '64. 

tCROOKER,  LUCIEN  B.  Transferred  from  I  as  captain,  to  date  from  Dec. 
29/62;  severely  wounded  in  arm  at  Vicksburg,  May  19/63;  resigned 
for  wounds  Aug.  3,  '63.  See  I. 

CROWELL,  GEORGE  P.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  12,  '61;  discharged  for 
disability,  at  Camp  Douglas,  Nov.  20,  '61.  Died  since  the  war. 

CROWELL,  WILLIAM  A.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  11,  '61;  wounded  at 
Shiloh;  discharged  for  wound,  at  Memphis,  Aug.  25,  '62. 

*CRUMBAUGH,  DAVID  M.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7/61;  corporal  at 
organization;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  promoted  sergeant  April  3,  '63;  vet 
eran;  wounded  at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64,  and  died  of  wound  April  14,  '65. 

DAILY,  JOHN  F.  Enlisted  at  Henderson,  Oct.  8,  '61;  corporal  at  organi 
zation;  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.,  Feb.  i,  '64. 

*DAVIS,  LLOYD  P.    Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  11,  '61;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

DEWEY,  EDWIN  A.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  12,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal 
Dec.  4/62;  veteran;  wounded  at  Ezra  Church,  July  28/64;  mustered 
out  with  regiment. 

DEWEY,  JOHN  C.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7,  '61;  discharged  for  disa 
bility,  at  Memphis,  Jan.  28,  '63. 

DUNLAP,  LEGRAND.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  12,  '61;  deserted  at  Mem 
phis,  Nov.  25,  '62. 

E  ADS,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  11/61;  discharged  for  disa 
bility,  at  Memphis,  Jan.  28,  '63. 

EWING,  JOSEPH  B.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  12,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31/64. 

FAAS,  SAMUEL.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  12.  '61;  veteran;  severely 
wounded  at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64;  discharged  for  disability  July  25,  '65. 

FERGUSON,  PHILLIP  B.  Enlisted  at  Marietta,  Oct.  3,  '61 ;  corporal  at  or 
ganization;  promoted  sergeant  Nov.  24,  '62;  wounded  in  hand  at  Shi- 


494  APPENDIX. 

loh;  wounded  at  Chickasaw  Bayou,  Dec.  28,  '62,  and  discharged  for 
wounds  Jan.  28,  '63.  Died  near  Toledo,  111.,  Dec.  9,  '1881. 

FLEEHARTY,  JOHN  N.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  8,  '61 ;  discharged  for 
disability  Aug.  18,  '62. 

FLUKE,  CALVIN  R.  Enlisted  at  Marietta,  Oct.  4,  '61 ;  severely  wounded 
at  Shiloh,  and  discharged  for  wound  Oct.  10,  '62. 

FOSTER,  CHANNING  B.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7,  '61 ;  discharged  for 
disability  March  31,  '62. 

*FOURAKER,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  at  Marietta,  Oct.  21,  '61 ;  died  of  fever 
near  Vicksburg,  June  28,  '63. 

FUGATE,  JAMES  N.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  8, '61;  veteran;  terribly 
wounded  in  charge  on  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64,  and  discharged 
for  wound  April  19,  '65. 

*FUGATE,  ROBERT  M.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  3,  '61 ;  died  at  Memphis 
Jan.  14,  '64. 

|HAND,  GILES  F.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  7,  '61;  corporal  at  organ 
ization;  promoted  sergeant  May,  '62;  first-sergeant.  Aug.  i,  '63;  first- 
lieutenant,  to  date  from  Nov.  27,  '62;  captain,  to  date  from  Oct.  31,  '63; 
wounded  in  head  near  Bentonville,  N.  C.,  March  20,  '65;  promoted 
major.  See  Field  and  Staff. 

HANEY,  HENRY  M.  Enlisted  at  Marietta,  Oct.  4,  '61 ;  sergeant  at  organi 
zation;  promoted  first-sergeant  Aug.  19,  '63;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

IHANEY,  MILTON  L.,  Rev.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  11,  '61;  captain  at 
organization;  resigned  March  14,  '62,  to  accept  chaplaincy.  See  Field 
and  Staff. 

*HANEY,  RICHARD.  Enlisted  at  Marietta,  Oct.  4,  '61;  corporal  at  organi 
zation;  slightly  wounded  at  Shiloh;  promoted  sergeant  March  31,  '63; 
killed  by  shell  in  storming  party  at  Vicksburg,  May  22,  '63. 

HARTMAN,  AARON  B.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  n,  '61;  discharged  for 
disability,  at  Memphis,  Oct.  13,  '62. 

HARTSOOK,  DANIEL.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell.  Oct.  7,  '61 ;  severely  wounded 
at  Shiloh;  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.,  Sept.  16,  '63. 

HARTSOOK,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  n,  '61;  promoted  cor 
poral  Aug.  i,  '62;  sergeant-major,  Sept.  i,  '62.  See  Field  and  Staff, 
and  K. 

*HENDRICKS,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7, '61;  sent  from  regi 
ment  July  10,  '62,  by  Col.  Stuart,  and  died  at  Cairo  in  autumn  of  '62. 

HENSELY,  SAMUEL  H.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  4,  '61;  transferred  to 
G,  Nov.  21,  '61. 

IHOLMES,  DAVID  N.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7,  '61 ;  promoted  cor 
poral  March  31,  '63;  sergeant,  Jan.  16,  '64;  veteran;  wounded  in  hip  at 
charge  on  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27, '64;  promoted  first-sergeant 
Dec.  15/64;  first-lieutenant,  to  date  from  May  19,  '65;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

*HOYT,  OLIVER  J.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  12/61;  killed  at  Vicks 
burg,  May  19,  '63. 

HUTCHINS,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  n,  '61;  severely 
wounded  at  Shiloh;  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.,  Feb.  6,  '64. 

*!NMAN,  JESSE  N.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  5/61;  died  of  congestive 
chill,  at  Memphis,  Sept.  27,  '62. 

*JAMESON,  ROBERT  S.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  7/61;  wounded  at 
Shiloh,  and  died  of  wound  at  home,  May  24,  '62. 

UOHNSON,  JOHN  B.  Transferred  from  A  as  second-lieutenant,  to  date 
from  March  8,  '62;  resigned  Sept.  3,  '62.  Captain  I37th  111.  Infty.  See  A. 

JOHNSON,  JOHN  A.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  1 1,  '61 ;  transferred  to  V.  R. 
C.,  May  31/64. 

JONES,  SAMUEL.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh, 
April  6,  '62;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

KEFFER,  JACOB  W.    Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  1 1/61 ;  veteran;  wounded 


COMPANY    F.  495 

at  Jonesboro',  Sept.  i,  '64;  promoted  sergeant  June  i,  '65;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

KING,  LYMAN  B.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Dec.  i,  '61;  discharged  for  dis 
ability,  at  St.  Louis,  July  10,  '62. 

*KREIDER,  DAVID.    Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  9,  '61;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

*LONG,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  u,  '61;  wounded  at  Shi 
loh,  and  died  of  wound,  at  St.  Louis,  April  20,  '62. 

LONG,  SAMUEL.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  n,'6i;  severely  wounded  at 
Shiloh;  promoted  corporal  Aug.  20,  '63;  sergeant,  Nov.  10,  '63;  veteran; 
wounded  at  Ezra  Chapel,  July  28,  '64,  and  discharged  for  wound  March 
23,  '65. 

*LUTZ,  AHAZ  B.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  5,  '61;  died  at  Memphis  Dec. 
6,  '62. 

LYBARGER,  LILLIBERN.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  3,  '61;  severely 
wounded  at  Shiloh,  and  discharged  for  wound  at  St.  Louis  Oct.  2,  '62. 

LYBARGER,  MILTON  C.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  3,  '61;  severely 
wounded  at  Shiloh;  mustered  out  Oct.  31/64. 

MATHENY,  DAVID  J.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  7,  '61;  musician;  se 
verely  wounded  in  charge  upon  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64;  mus 
tered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

MAXWELL,  WILLIAM  J.  Enlisted  at  Marietta,  Oct.  7,  '61 ;  discharged  for 
disability  at  Camp  Douglas  Nov.  20,  '61. 

McCANCE,  MANSON.  Enlisted  at  Marietta,  Oct.  4,  '61;  corporal  at  organ 
ization;  deserted  at  Holly  Springs,  Miss.,  Dec.  11,  '62. 

MCCAUGHEY,  JOSEPH  W.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  3,  '61 ;  wounded  at 
Shiloh;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

*McCoMB,  MATTHEW.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  7,  '61;  promoted 
corporal  March  31,  '63;  died  at  Bridgeport,  Ala.,  Dec.  25,  '63. 

MCDONALD,  JAMES  I.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  12,  '61;  discharged  for 
disability  Oct.  10,  '62. 

MCELROY,  WILBERT.  Enlisted  at  Marietta,  Oct.  30,  '61;  discharged  for 
disability  Feb.  18,  '63. 

MEAD,  ALFRED.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  12,  '61;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31,  '64. 

*MEDARIS,  JOHN  C.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  11,  '61;  died  at  Pittsburg 
Landing,  April  17,  '62. 

*MEDARIS,  JOSEPH  B.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7, '61 ;  died  at  home 
May  2,  '64. 

MILLER,  GEORGE  S.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  10,  '61;  promoted  cor 
poral  Jan.  10,  '64;  veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

MILLER,  JACOB  C.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  12,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31,  '64.  Died  at  Bardolph  since  the  war. 

MILLER,  WILLIAM  J.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Sept.  31,  '62;  promoted  cor 
poral  June  i, '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

MOORE,  ALBERTSON.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  11,  '61;  severely  wound 
ed  at  Shiloh,  and  discharged  for  wound,  at  Memphis,  Jan.  23/63. 

MOSHER,  DANIEL.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7, '61;  severely  wounded 
at  Shiloh,  and  discharged  for  wound  April  4,  '63. 

NEWKIRK,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  8,  '61;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31/64. 

OSBORN,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Nov.  27,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Dec. 
30,  '64. 

|PARKS,  JOSEPH  W.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  1 1/61 ;  second-lieutenant 
at  organization;  promoted  first-lieutenant,  to  date  March  8/62;  mus 
tered  out  by  S.  O.  lot;  of  War  Dept,  for  disability,  to  date  from  Nov. 
26,  '62. 

*PATTERSON,  ROBERT  S.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  1 1/61 ;  died  at  Cape 
Girardeau,  Jan.  22,  '62. 


496 


APPENDIX. 


*PENNELL,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  11,  '61;  killed  at 
Shiloh. 

PENNINGTON,  JACOB  A.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  1 1,  '61 ;  discharged  for 
disability,  at  Memphis,  Jan.  28,  '63. 

PERDUE,  DALLAS.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Feb.  24,  '64;  mustered 
out  with  regiment. 

POTTINGER,  SAMUEL  W.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  21/61;  transferred 
to  G,  Nov.  21,  '61.  See  G. 

POWERS,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  10,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct.  31, 
'64.  Died  in  Kansas,  June  19,  1878. 

fPRESSON,  HARRISON.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  11,  '61;  first-lieutenant 
at  organization;  resigned  March  5,  '62. 

PUTNAM,  JOHN  M.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh, 
and  discharged  for  wound  Oct.  2,  '62.  Died  near  Canton  since  war. 

*PUTNAM,  JOSEPH  P.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7,  '61;  veteran;  killed  in 
assault  on  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64. 

REED,  AMENZO.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  11/61;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31,  '64. 

*REYNOLDS,  JOEL.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  8, '61;  died  at  Pittsburg 
Landing,  May  10,  '62. 

RICKMAN,  MOSES  B.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  19,  '61;  transferred  to 
K,  Nov.  14,  '61.  See  K. 

*ROGERS,  GEORGE  H.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  11,  '61;  corporal  at 
organization;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

ROGERS,  LEWIS  D.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  7/61;  promoted  cor 
poral  Aug.  1/62;  discharged  for  disability  Feb.  11,  '63,  at  Memphis. 

SANDERS,  FESTUS  H.  Enlisted  at  Marietta,  Oct.  3,  '61;  given  unlimited 
furlough  by  Col.  Stuart,  at  Camp  Douglas,  Nov,  19,  '61. 

SANFORD,  AMOS.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  10,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal 
Aug.  i,  '62;  slightly  wounded  May  22,  '63,  at  Vicksburg  in  storming 
party;  promoted  sergeant  Aug.  20,  '63;  transferred  to  5oth  U.  S.  Col 
ored,  Sept.  19,  '63,  as  first-lieutenant.  Died  at  Anna,  111.,  since  war. 

SANFORD,  EBENEZER.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  11/61;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31,  '64. 

*SANFORD,  GEORGE.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  7/61;  sergeant  at 
organization;  wounded  at  Shiloh,  and  died  of  wound  April  14,  '62. 

SANFORD,  JACOB.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  7,  '61 ;  veteran;  promoted 
corporal  June  1/65;  commissary-sergeant  June  18,  '65.  See  Field  and 
Staff. 

•J"*SCHLIECH,  CASPER.  Transferred  from  A  as  captain,  to  date  from  July 
i,  '62;  killed  at  Chickasaw  Bayou  Dec.  29,  '62.  See  A. 

*SHANNON,  ALVIN.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  3,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh 
and  died  of  wound,  at  Cairo,  April  17,  '62. 

*SHREVES,  JAMES  M.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  11/61;  first-sergeant  at 
organization;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  promoted  first-lieutenant  in  I2th 
Louisiana  Colored,  Aug.  i,  '63;  died  of  fever  at  Vicksburg  Aug.  19/63. 

SMITH,  JAMES  K.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  12/61;  severely  wounded 
at  Shiloh,  and  discharged  for  wound  Oct.  13,  '62. 

*SNAPP,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7,  '61 ;  died  at  Camp  Sher 
man,  Miss.,  Aug.  29,  '63. 

SPERLING,  THEODORE.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  n,  '61;  veteran;  pro 
moted  corporal  June  1/65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

STERLING,  LEWIS  W.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  3/61;  transferred  to 
V.  R.  C.,  May  1/64. 

*SULLIVAN,  DAVID  A.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Oct.  25,  '61 ;  musician;  killed 
at  Vicksburg  May  22,  '63. 

SWEARINGEN,  BENNETT.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  12,  '61;  wounded  at 
Shiloh;  veteran;  wounded  at  Atlanta  July  22,  '64;  promoted  corporal 
Oct.  10,  '64;  sergeant,  June  1/65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 


COMPANY    G.  497 

TEITSWORTH,  OLIVER  P.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  12,  '61;  discharged 
for  disability  Nov.  16,  '62. 

THOMPSON,  THOMAS  E.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7,  '61;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31,  '64. 

TOTMAN,  EDMOND  T.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7,  '61 ;  severely  wounded 
at  Ezra  Church,  July  28,  '64,  and  discharged  for  wound  April  28,  '65. 

WALKER,  ANDREW  J.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  8,  '61;  sergeant  at  or 
ganization;  discharged  for  disability  Nov.  24,  '62,  at  Memphis. 

WETZEL,  AHAZ  B.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  12,  '61;  promoted  corporal 
April  3,  '63;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

WETZEL,  DANIEL  W.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  5/61 ;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31/64. 

*WILSON,  J.  O.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  8,  '61 ;  died  at  Quincy,  111., 
May  16,  '62. 

WINGET,  LEWIS  T.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  6,  '61;  wounded  at  Vicks- 
burg,  May  19,  '63;  veteran;  promoted  corporal  June  I,  '65;  captured 
March  19,  '65,  and  exchanged;  mustered  out  with  regiment.  Died 
near  Macomb,  since  the  war. 

WINTERS,  AUGUSTUS.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  ii,'6i;  deserted  near 
Corinth,  Miss.,  June  10,  '62. 

"}"*WRIGHT,  SQUIRE  A.  Transferred  from  C  as  captain,  to  date  from 
March  14,  '62;  wounded  at  Shiloh  twice,  and  died  of  wounds  May  12, 
'62.  See  C. 

WYCKOF,  DAVID  L.    Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  11,  '61;  wounded  at  Shi 
loh,  and  discharged  for  wound  Sept.  26,  '62.     Died  at  home  in  1865. 
The  following  recruits  of  the  I  loth  111.  Infty.  were  assigned  to  F  in 

1865,  to  complete  their  service,  and  were  mustered  out  with  regiment: 

John  C.  Aaron,  Richard  C.  Ball,  George  W.  Bacon,  John  Dulany,  Pascal 

Hamilton,  John  C.  Houck,  William  H.  Johnson,  Samuel  Kitt,  James  D. 

Long,  William  M.  Loyd,  Clark  McGee,  John  W.  McGovern,  Jonathan 

Owen,  John  C.  Raymond,  John  P.  Russell,  John  R.  Scribner,  Henry  Sites, 

Felix  Shutter,  Seth  T.  Spore,  James  K.  Westfall,  Benjamin  White,  George 

Woodhouse. 


COMPANY    G. 

About  the  first  of  August,  1861,  Joseph  Clay  of  La  Salle  began  recruit 
ing  a  company  to  join  the  Douglas  Brigade,  then  being  formed  at  Camp 
Douglas.  He  was  assisted  by  C.  C.  Davis,  William  J.  Kennedy  and  a 
few  others.  Those  enrolled,  numbering  about  thirty-five  men,  reported 
at  Chicago,  August  7th.  About  the  25th  of  September,  Peter  Roberts, 
then  a  member  of  what  was  later  known  as  Company  A,  assisted  by 
Thomas  R.  Scott  and  William  J.  Eckley,  began  recruiting  in  Fulton, 
Stark  and  McDonough  counties.  The  men  they  obtained  were  assigned 
to  the  company  of  Captain  Clay,  and  a  few  transfers  from  the  surplus  of 
other  commands,  made  up  the  required  number  for  organization.  The 
name  of  Lyon  Guards  was  given  to  the  company,  until  it  became  a  part 
of  the  Fifty-fifth  Infantry,  when  it  was  designated  G. 

Captain  Clay  professed  to  have  seen  service  in  the  regular  army,  and 
at  the  election  for  officers  his  title  of  commander  was  confirmed  by  the 
votes  of  the  men.  Cyrus  M.  Browne  was  chosen  first-lieutenant,  Albert 
A.  Whipple  second-lieutenant,  and  Peter  Roberts  first-sergeant.  Lieu 
tenant  Browne  was  one  of  the  oldest  men  of  the  regiment,  being  then 
34 


498  APPENDIX. 

about  forty-seven,  while  Lieutenant  Whipple  was  its  youngest  officer, 
being  barely  nineteen.  The  company  presented  a  sword,  sash  and  belt 
to  their  captain.  A  few  months  later  he  had  disgraced  the  gift  by  cow 
ardice,  and  the  indignant  donors  took  the  sword  from  him. 

Company  G  started  for  the  front  with  eighty-nine  rank  and  file,  and 
received  but  three  recruits  thereafter.  With  few  exceptions  they  were 
young  men,  quiet,  brave  and  true,  who  had  been  led  to  enlist  purely  from 
patriotic  motives  —  without  thought  of  distinction  or  reward  to  be  gained. 
At  the  veteran  re-enlistment  thirty-six  were  mustered  in  for  the  war — a 
larger  number  than  volunteered  from  any  other  company  of  the  Fifty- 
fifth. 

The  first  of  G  to  lay  down  his  life  was  Albert  A.  Washburn,  who  died 
on  the  journey  down  the  Mississippi  from  St.  Louis,  in  January,  1862;  the 
last  was  Joseph  Morehead,  killed  at  Bentonville,  N.  C.,  March,  1865  — 
and  the  last  man  of  the  Fifty-fifth  slain  in  battle.  One  boy,  Maurice  A. 
Cadwallader,  was  but  eighteen  years  of  age  when  he  had  completed  his 
three  years'  service.  There  were  six  pairs  of  brothers  in  G.  Seven  of 
these  did  not  survive  the  war,  and  three  were  discharged,  leaving  only 
two  to  be  mustered  out  at  the  end  of  the  rebellion.  The  casualties  of 
the  company  in  its  four  years'  service  were:  killed  in  action,  8;  wounded 
in  action,  22;  died  of  wounds,  3;  died  of  disease,  14;  discharged  for 
wounds,  5;  discharged  for  other  disability,  7;  captured,  3;  deserters,  3; 
transferred  to  V.  R.  C.,  I. 

AYRES,  MONROE  L.    Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  25,  '61 ;  discharged  for  dis 
ability. 
*BAINES,  JAMES  A.    Enlisted  at  Young  America,  Nov.  4,  '61 ;  promoted 

corporal;  veteran;  wounded  in  thigh  at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64,  and  died 

the  same  day  while  undergoing  amputation. 
BALDWIN,  WILLIAM  G.    Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  15,  '61;  transferred  to 

V.  R.  C.,  Jan.  22,  '64. 
BALL,  HARRISON.    Ennlisted  in  McDonough  county,  Oct.  18,  '61 ;  veteran; 

mustered  out  with  regiment. 
BEACH,  JOHN  D.    Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  23, '61;  veteran;  promoted 

corporal;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

BEEMAN,  JOHN.    Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  14/61;  discharged  for  disa 
bility  July  31,  '65.     Died  since  the  war. 
BELL,  STEPHEN  R.    Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  25,  '61;  corporal  at 

organization;  mustered  out  as  private  Oct.  31,  '64. 
^BENNETT,  CHARLES  F.      Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  23,  '61;  veteran; 

promoted   sergeant;  first-sergeant;   commissioned   first-lieutenant,  to 

date  July  25,  '65;  mustered  out  as  first-sergeant,  with  regiment. 
BRIGGS,  WASHINGTON  A.    Enlisted  in  McDonough  county,  Oct.  15/61; 

veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
BRAZLETON,  JAMES  H.    Enlisted  at  Young  America,  Oct.  14,  '61 ;  veteran; 

promoted  sergeant;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
IBROWNE,  CYRUS  M.    Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  July  22,  '61 ;  first-lieutenant 

at  organization;  promoted  captain,  to  date  from  Sept.  17,  '62;  mustered 

out  Oct.  31,  '64. 
BURNSIDE,  JAMES  L.    Enlisted  at  Kankakee,  Oct.  18,  '61;  fifer;  veteran; 

promoted  hospital  steward  Jan.  I,  '65.     See  Field  and  Staff. 
*BURNSIDE,  WILLIAM  S.    Enlisted  at  Kankakee,  Aug.  23,  '61 ;  killed  at 

Shiloh. 


COMPANY    G.  499 

CADWALLADER,  MAURICE  A.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Oct.  25/61;  pro 
moted  corporal;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

ICLAY,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  July  23,  '61 ;  captain  at  organiza 
tion;  dismissed  for  cowardice  Sept.  16,  '62,  by  G.  O.  War.  Dept.  243. 

COGSWELL,  LESTER  S.  Enlisted  at  Toulon,  Oct.  23, '61;  promoted  cor 
poral;  veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

DAVIS,  C.  C.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  7,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal,  wound 
ed  in  left  leg  at  Shiloh,  and  discharged  for  wound  April  13,  '63. 

DRAKE,  DAVID  N.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Nov.  8,  '61;  discharged  Dec. 
31 1 '64. 

EARLY,  WILLIAM  L.  Enlisted  in  McDonough  county,  Oct.  9/61;  cap 
tured  at  Shiloh,  and  exchanged;  discharged  Aug.  I,  '63,  to  accept  com 
mission  as  second-lieutenant  in  I2th  Louisiana  Colored. 

*ECKLEY,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  at  Toulon,  Oct.  23,  '61;  died  of  fever  at 
Camp  Sherman,  Miss.,  Aug.  8,  '63. 

ECKLEY,  JAMES  A.  Enlisted  at  Toulon,  Oct.  23,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct.  31, 
'64.  Died  March  10,  1869. 

*ECKLEY,  WILLIAM  J.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  25,  '61;  corporal  at  or 
ganization;  veteran;  promoted  sergeant;  wounded  at  Atlanta,  Aug.  3, 
'64,  and  died  of  wound,  at  Marietta,  Aug.  15,  '64. 

EMERY,  JASON  R.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  4/61;  veteran;  mustered 
out  with  regiment. 

ERVINE,  ELIJAH  P.  Enlisted  in  McDonough  county,  Oct.  8,'6i ;  promoted 
corporal;  veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

FAIRFIELD,  AUGUSTUS.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Nov.  i,  '61;  promoted  cor 
poral;  sergeant;  veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*FITSIMMONS,  THOMAS.  Enlisted  in  Warren  county,  Oct.  18,  '61 ;  left  sick 
in  hospital  at  Memphis,  Nov.  '62,  and  supposed  to  have  died  there. 

GARRIGAN,  PETER.  Enlisted  at  Young  America,  Oct.  18, '61;  wounded 
at  yicksburg  slightly  by  shell,  July  2,  '63;  veteran;  mustered  out  with 
regiment. 

GAY,  JAMES  W.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  5,  '61;  prompted  corporal; 
sergeant  in  color-guard;  wounded  in  left  shoulder  at  Vicksburg,  May 

19,  '63;  veteran;  wounded  in  assault  on  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64; 
captured   at  Atlanta,   July  22,  '64;    exchanged   from   Anderson ville; 
mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*GILLESPIE,  JAMES  T.  Enlisted  from  Fulton  county,  Sept.  25,  '61;  killed 
at  Shiloh. 

GIVEREL,  MICHAEL.  Enlisted  at  Lake,  Oct.  16,  '61;  captured  at  Shiloh; 
returned,  and  enlisted  in  I27th  111.  Infty. 

HAWK,  GEORGE  B.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  14,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
promoted  corporal;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

HAZELL,  HARRY  A.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle.  Sept.  25, '61 ;  veteran;  mus 
tered  out  with  regiment. 

HENSLEY,  SAMUEL  H.    Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  4, '61;  deserted  Dec. 

20,  '62. 

*HERRING,  CHARLES  W.    Enlisted  in  Warren  county,  Nov.  i,  '61;   died 

at  Memphis,  Oct.  3,  '62. 
HINER,  JOSEPH  C.    Enlisted  at  Toulon,  Oct.  23,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 

veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
HOGUE,  JAMES  B.    Enlisted  in  McDonough  county,  Oct.  14,  '61;  veteran; 

mustered  out  with  regiment. 

HOGUE,  WILLIAM  P.    Enlisted  in  McDonough  county,  Oct.  14/61;  dis 
charged  for  disability,  at  Quincy,  111.,  Sept.  4,  '62. 
HOWE,  WILLIAM  H.     Enlisted  at  Waukegan,  June  5,  '61,  in   i$th  111. 

Infty;  transferred  to  G,  and  promoted  principal  musician  Jan.  1/62. 

See  Field  and  Staff. 
*HUMPHREY,  MICHAEL.     Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Oct.  20/61 ;  wounded  at 

Shiloh;  veteran;  killed  near  Atlanta  Aug.  3,  '64. 


5°°  APPENDIX. 

JACKSON,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Sept.  25,  '61;  veteran; 
mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*KENNEDY,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  6,  '61;  died  at  St.  Louis, 
June  i,  '62. 

*KENNEDY,  WILLIAM  J.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  6, '61 ;  wounded  in 
arm  at  Vicksburg,  May  22,  '63,  and  died  of  fever  and  wounds  at 
Memphis,  June  22,  '63. 

*KEMBLE,  HENRY  W.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Memphis,  Oct.,  '62;  died  at 
Memphis,  May  8,  '63. 

LATHROP,  WILLIAM  C.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  3/61;  sergeant  at 
organization;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64,  as  private. 

LAXON,  LEANDER.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  23,  '61;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31,  '64. 

LOUCKS,  DELOS.  Enlisted  in  McDonough  county,  Oct.  4,  '61;  deserted 
Dec.  20,  '62. 

*LOVELACE,  JOHN  W.  Enlisted  in  McDonough  county,  Oct.  18,  '61 ;  died 
at  Louisville,  Ky.,  May  10,  '62. 

*LYON,  MICHAEL.  Enlisted  in  Cook  county,  Oct.  11,  '61;  died  at  Mem 
phis,  Nov.  4,  '63. 

*MARCH,  JOHN.  Enlisted  in  Henry  county,  Oct.  4,  '61;  left  sick  at  Mem 
phis,  Nov.,  '62,  and  supposed  to  have  died  Mar.,  '63. 

McKAiG,  RICHARD  B.  Enlisted  in  McDonough  county,  Oct.  18/61;  de 
serted  at  LaFayette,  Tenn.,  June  26,  '62. 

MCQUEEN,  HOSIAH  P.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Sept.  14,  '61;  veteran; 
mustered  out  with  regiment. 

MELLON,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  6,  '61;  veteran;  wounded  in 
assault  of  Little  Kenesaw,  June  27,  '64;  leg  amputated  and  discharged 
March  I,  '65. 

*MILLER,  SOLOMON  L.  Enlisted  at  Young  America,  Oct.  18,  '61;  died 
at  Memphis,  July  29,  '62. 

MILLS,  DAVID  M.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  25,  '61 ;  discharged 
for  disability,  '62. 

Mix,  CHARLES.  Enlisted  at  Waukegan,  Oct.  5,  '61;  discharged  for  dis 
ability  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  June  10,  '62. 

Mix,  EDWARD.  Enlisted  at  Waukegan,  Oct.  5, '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh, 
and  discharged  on  account  of  wound. 

*MOREHEAD,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Oct.  23/61;  veteran;  killed 
at  Bentonville,  N.  C.,  March  21,  '65. 

*MOREHEAD,  WILLIAM  H.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Oct.  23, '61;  killed  at 
Shiloh. 

MOREY,  HARVEY  C.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Nov.  7,  '63;  mus 
tered  out  with  regiment. 

MURRAY,  ANDREW.  Enlisted  in  Warren  county,  Oct.  23/61;  veteran; 
wounded  in  assault  on  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27/64;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

*MURPHY,  JAMES  B.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Sept.  24,  '61 ;  corporal  at 
organization;  killed  at  Vicksburg,  June  25,  '63. 

MYERS,  JOHN  H.  Enlisted  at  Prairie  City,  Sept.  25/61;  veteran;  pro 
moted  corporal;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*NEWELL,  CYRUS  W.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  14,  '61;  corporal  at 
organization;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  died  of  disease  on  hospital  boat, 
May  10,  '62. 

OGLESBY,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  12/61;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31*  '64. 

*PATTERSON,  CHARLES  H.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  23/61 ;  sergeant 
at  organization;  died  at  St.  Louis,  Oct.  19,  '63. 

PETERSON,  ARMOUR.  Enlisted  in  Warren  county,  Oct.  4/61;  mustered 
out  Oct.  31,  '64. 


COMPANY    G.  501 

PETERSON,  WILLARD  C.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  25,  '61;  promoted 
corporal;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

*POTTINGER,  SAMUEL  W.  Transferred  from  F  Nov.  2i,'6i;  mustered 
out  Oct.  31,  '64.  Died  soon  after  at  Chattanooga  in  hospital. 

PUNTNEY,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Young  America,  Oct.  18,  '61 ;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31,  '64. 

"[ROBERTS,  PETER.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  20,  '61;  first-sergeant  at  or 
ganization;  promoted  second-lieutenant,  to  date  from  Sept.  17,  '62; 
captain,  to  date  from  May  19,  '65;  wounded  severely  at  Jackson,  July 
11,  '63;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

SCOTT,  THOMAS  R.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Sept.  25,  "61 ;  sergeant  at  organ 
ization;  veteran;  discharged  for  disability  June  14,  65. 

*SEXTON,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  4, '61;  died  at  Camp  Sher 
man,  Miss.,  Aug.  31,  '63. 

*SHANNON,  IRVING.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  12,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh, 
and  discharged  for  wound  June  10,  '62.  Re-enlisted  in  85th  111.  Infty., 
Aug.  '62,  and  mortally  wounded  at  Kenesaw,  June  27,  '64. 

SMITH,  FRANKLIN.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Wilmington,  Feb.  2,  '64; 
wounded  in  assault  upon  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64,  and  dis 
charged  for  wound  June  25,  '65. 

tSMiTH,  FRED  W.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Sept.  12,  '61;  corporal  at  organ 
ization;  promoted  sergeant;  veteran;  promoted  first-sergeant;  com 
missioned  first-lieutenant,  to  date  May  19,  '65;  discharged  for  disa 
bility,  as  sergeant,  April  25,  "65. 

SMITH,  JOHN  N.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  6,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31.  '64. 

SMITH,  WEBSTER  N.  Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  7,  '61 ;  veteran;  mustered 
out  with  regiment. 

SONGSTER,  CALVIN  A.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  14,  '61;  corporal  at  or 
ganization;  promoted  sergeant;  veteran;  wounded  at  Jonesboro',  Sept. 
i,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

SWARTZLANDER,  CARL.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  23,  '61 ;  wounded  at 
Shiloh,  and  discharged  for  wound  Jan.  28,  '63. 

TERRY,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  in  Douglas  county,  Aug.  28,  '61;  discharged 
for  disability,  '62. 

TURNER,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Peoria,  Sept.  14, '61;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31/64. 

VANBUSKIRK,  ALONZO.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  23,  '61 ;  corporal  at 
organization;  veteran;  discharged  for  disability  at  Louisville,  Ky., 
June  25,  '65. 

WARREN,  AARON  E.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  3,  '61 ;  discharged  Feb. 
21/64,  a-t  Scottsboro',  Ala.;  re-enlisted  in  ist  111.  Art.,  Co.  I,  Feb.  22, 
'64,  and  mustered  out  July  26,  '65. 

*WASHBURN,  ALBERT  A.  Enlisted  at  Waukegan,  Oct.  21,  '61 ;  died  on 
board  steamboat  D.  A.  January,  Jan.  15,  '62. 

*WEAVER,  HARRY  H.  Enlisted  in  Fulton  county,  Sept.  25,  '61;  sergeant 
at  organization;  died  at  St.  Louis  April  8,  '63,  of  disease  caused  by  ex 
posure  at  Arkansas  Post. 

WEST,  CHARLES  L.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Sept.  12,  '61 ;  veteran;  wounded 
in  assault  upon  Little  Kenesaw  Mt,  June  27/64;  mustered  out  with 
regiment. 

WHEELER,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  at  Canton,  Aug.  10,  '61;  corporal  at  organ 
ization;  veteran;  discharged,  to  date  June  30,  '65,  according  to  act  of 
Congress,  approved  July  5,  1884. 

IWHIPPLE,  ALBERT  A.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  July  29/61;  second-lieu 
tenant  at  organization;  promoted  first-lieutenant,  to  date  from  Sept. 
17,  '62;  wounded  in  head  at  Ezra  Church  July  28/64;  resigned  Sept.  16, 
'64.  Died  at  Denver,  Col.,  March  22,  1885. 

WILLIAMS,  ANDREW.    Enlisted  at  Bushnell,  Oct.  18,  '61 ;  wounded  in  face 


502  APPENDIX. 

at  Vicksburg,  May  19,  '63;  veteran;  discharged  for  disability  Aug. 
2,  '64. 

WILLIAMS,  CLARENCE  A.  Enlisted  at  Morris,  Sept.  14, '61;  drummer; 
veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

WILSON,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  14,  '61 ;  veteran;  wounded 
in  assault  on  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64;  mustered  out  with  reg 
iment. 

WITTER,  GEORGE  E.  Enlisted  at  Toulon,  Oct.  23,  '61 ;  veteran;  promoted 
corporal;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

WOOD,  CHARLES  B.  Enlisted  at  La  Salle,  Aug.  23/61;  veteran;  dis 
charged,  to  date  July,  '65,  according  to  act  of  Congress  of  July  5,  1884. 


COMPANY   H. 

This  company  was  made  up  chiefly  of  young  men  from  Carroll  and 
Ogle  counties,  and  was  recruited  by  two  Methodist  ministers,  Rev.  Wil 
liam  A.  Presson  and  Rev.  L.  P.  Crouch,  at  Polo,  where  it  was  duly  organ 
ized  and  made  choice  of  officers  Oct.  29,  1861.  It  started  for  Chicago  the 
same  day.  Its  officers  elect  were:  Timothy  B.  Burrows,  captain;  James 
Matthews,  first-lieutenant;  Henry  Norton,  second-lieutenant. 

Shortly  after  arrival  at  Camp  Douglas,  the  enlisted  men  discovered 
that  Colonel  Stuart  had  no  intention  of  respecting  their  desires  as  ex 
pressed  at  the  Polo  election.  He  succeeded  in  persuading  Captain  Bur 
rows  to  accept  the  position  of  second-lieutenant,  and  placed  two  strangers 
in  the  higher  offices;  James  J.  Heffernan  as  captain,  and  James  Weldon 
as  first-lieutenant.  This  arbitrary  proceeding  was  at  first  resented  by 
most  of  those  concerned  as  a  great  grievance,  but  no  obvious  remedy 
was  at  hand,  and  their  patriotic  fervor  kept  the  men  patient.  The  new 
officers  by  their  tact  and  ability  soon  won  favor,  and  the  episode  left  few 
rankling  memories.  Upon  the  promotion  of  Captain  Heffernan  to  major 
early  in  1863,  Adjutant  H.  S.  Nourse  succeeded  to  the  command  of  the 
company.  Lieutenant  Burrows  died  at  Paducah,  and  Lieutenant  Weldon 
was  mortally  wounded  at  Shiloh.  Horace  T.  Healey  was  promoted,  and 
Francis  A  Scott  transferred  from  I  to  fill  the  vacancies  thus  created. 

At  the  muster-in  of  the  regiment,  this  company  was  numerically  the 
smallest  in  the  55th,  having  but  seventy-five  in  its  ranks.  Thirteen  were 
added  before  the  close  of  November,  but  it  received  only  two  recruits 
thereafter.  Its  material  was  of  the  best,  and  its  loss  by  battle  casualty 
above  the  average  of  the  regiment,  being  fifty-three  per  cent,  of  its  total 
number.  It  participated  in  all  the  marches  and  battles  of  the  55th,  and 
was  but  once  detached  for  special  duty.  For  a  brief  time  at  Milliken's 
Bend,  La.,  it  was  employed  in  guarding  the  Medical  Purveyor's  depart 
ment  on  the  steamboat  Post  Boy. 

Of  the  rank  and  file  of  Company  H, —  ninety  men  all  told —  eight  were 
killed  in  battle  and  thirty-eight  wounded.  Eight  of  the  latter  died  of 
their  injuries.  Ten  were  discharged  and  two  transferred  to  the  V.  R.  C., 
because  of  wounds.  Ten  died  of  disease,  ten  were  discharged  for  disa 
bility,  and  ten  were  reported  deserters.  Only  three  were  captured  by  the 


COMPANY    H.  5°3 

enemy  —  all  of  whom  were  wounded,  and  two  of  of  them  died  in  captivity. 
All  casualties  are  properly  credited  in  the  following  roster,  save  that 
twenty-five  names  only  of  the  twenty-seven  wounded  at  Shiloh,  have  been 
ascertained. 

•fAAGESEN,  NICHOLAS  S.  Transferred  from  D  as  second-lieutenant,  to 
date  from  March  I,  '62;  severely  wounded  in  arm  at  Shiloh;  promoted 
first-lieutenant,  to  date  from  July  1/62;  transferred  by  promotion  to 
D.  SeeD. 

ADAMS,  THOMAS.  Enlisted  at  Morris,  Aug.  7,  '61;  promoted  sergeant; 
wounded  slightly  at  Shiloh;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

ALLEN,  HENRY.  Enlisted  at  Waukegan,  Oct.  22,  '61;  discharged  for  dis 
ability  Aug.  28,  '62. 

*ALLISON,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  22,  '61;  wounded  in 
leg  at  Shiloh;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64.  Died  in  1864. 

BAIR,  GEORGE  N.  D.  Enlisted  at  Adeline,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  wounded  in  head 
at  Shiloh,  and  discharged  for  wound. 

BARNES,  OSCAR.    Enlisted  at  Polo,  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

BEERS,  BARNETT  M.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  wounded  in 
leg  at  Shiloh;  discharged  at  expiration  of  term  of  service. 

*BEERS,  CHARLES  T.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  corporal  at 
organization;  promoted  sergeant  Oct.  10,  '62;  ordnance  sergeant;  vet 
eran;  wounded  in  head  at  Jonesboro',  Aug.  31,  '64,  and  died  of  wound, 
at  Marietta,  Ga.,  Sept.  21,  '64. 

BELCHER,  ALBERT.  Enlisted  at  Polo,  Oct.  22,  '61;  before  enlisted  in  the 
1 5th  111.  Infty.;  returned  to  his  regiment  Jan.  5,  '62. 

BIGBEE,  COLUMBUS  C.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  22, '61;  veteran; 
promoted  sergeant;  in  color-guard;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

BOYDSTON,  ULYSSES  A.    Enlisted  Nov.  5.  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

BROCK,  ANDREW  J.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  25/61;  sergeant  at 
organization;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

BROWN,  HERMAN.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  20, '61;  orderly  to  Col. 
Stuart;  discharged  April  i,  '63,  because  a  minor. 

BROWN,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Buffalo  Grove,  Oct.  22.  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31.  '64. 

*BURNETT,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  22, '61;  wounded 
at  Shiloh,  arm  amputated,  and  died  June  3,  '62. 

|*BURROWS,  TIMOTHY  B.  Enlisted  at  Adeline,  Oct.  19,  '61;  elected  cap 
tain;  second-lieutenant  at  organization;  died  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  of  fever, 
Feb.  14,  '62. 

CHRISSINGER,  JOHN  W.  Enlisted  at  Burlington,  Nov.  6, '61;  wounded 
severely  and  taken  prisoner  at  Shiloh;  discharged  for  disability  May 
15/63.  Reported  deserter  in  Adjt.-Gen.  Report,  by  error. 

CLEMENTS,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Polo,  Oct.  28,  '61 ;  discharged  for  disabil 
ity  July  16,  '62. 

*CROUCH,  STEPHEN  D.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  19,  '61 ;  sergeant 
at  organization;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

DEETS,  LEWIS.   Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  31/61 ;  deserted  June  25/65. 

*DE  WOLF,  JAMES.  Enlisted  at  Polo,  Oct.  25,  '61;  sergeant  at  organiza 
tion;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

DODD,  ELIAS  B.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  deserted  May 
29,  "62,  at  Corinth. 

DOWNER,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Industry,  Nov.  6, '61;  promoted  corporal; 
mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

ELY,  JOSEH  H.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  discharged  for  dis 
ability  March  7,  '62. 

*FENNER,  ROSELLE.    Enlisted  at  Morris,  Oct.  22,  '61;  died  Sept.  22,  '62. 


APPENDIX. 

FESSLER,  HENRY.  Enlisted  at  Adeline,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  wounded  in  face  at 
Shiloh;  discharged  for  disability  Jan.  28,  '63. 

FORD,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  at  Industry,  Nov.  21/61;  wounded  in  face  at 
Shiloh;  discharged  for  wound,  date  not  known. 

FRAZER,  JOHN  D.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  29,  '61;  promoted  corporal; 
lost  right  arm  by  wound  in  the  assault  of  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27, 
'64;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

FRYER,  DERRICK  F.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  25/61;  corporal  at 
organization;  wounded  in  chin  at  Shiloh;  promoted  sergeant;  veteran; 
wounded  near  Atlanta,  Aug.  12/64;  promoted  first-sergeant;  mustered 
out  with  regiment. 

FULTON,  CHARLES  E.  Enlisted  at  Polo,  Oct.  22/61;  discharged  for  dis 
ability  Aug.  27,  '62. 

*GAYLORD,  LESLIE  E.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  25,  '61;  died  Aug. 
2,  '63,  near  Vicksburg. 

GEISSEL,  ALBERT.  Enlisted  at  Jefferson  City,  Mo.,  Oct.  27,  '61 ;  wounded 
in  leg  and  arm  at  Shiloh,  and  never  returned  to  duty;  reported  de 
serter  Dec.  20,  '62. 

*HARRINGTON,  FRANCIS.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  25,  '61 ;  wounded 
in  leg  at  Shiloh,  and  died  June  8,  '62,  of  wound. 

*HARSH,  JONAS.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Nov.  I,  '61 ;  wounded  in  breast 
at  Shiloh,  and  died  May  9,  '62,  of  wound. 

*HEALEY,  CYRUS  M.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  25/61;  prompted 
corporal;  wounded  in  leg  and  breast  and  taken  prisoner  at  Shiloh; 
died  at  Macon,  Ga.,  Aug.  13,  '62. 

IHEALEY,  HORACE  T.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  corporal  at 
organization;  promoted  sergeant  and  first-sergeant;  first-lieutenant,  to 
date  from  Dec.  20,  '62;  wounded  in  shoulder  at  Vicksburg,  May  22/63; 
acting  quartermaster  from  Jan.  '64  to  end  of  service;  mustered  out 
Jan.  28,  '65. 

^HEFFERNAN,  JAMES  J.  Captain  at  organization;  promoted  major,  to 
date  from  Dec.  19,  '62.  See  Field  and  Staff. 

*HENSEY,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Adeline,  Oct.  20,  '61;  wounded  Aug.  31,  '64, 
at  Jonesboro',  Ga.;  died  of  wounds  Sept.  6,  '64,  at  Marietta,  Ga. 

HICKEY,  DANIEL.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  28,  '61;  veteran;  mustered 
out  with  regiment. 

HOWELL,  OTHO  M.  Enlisted  from  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  Nov.  4, '61;  dis 
charged  for  disability  May  29,  '62. 

HUSGEN,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  at  Jefferson  City,  Mo.,  Oct.  22/61;  veteran; 
promoted  corporal;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

INGRAHAM,  CHARLES.  Enlisted  at  Batavia,  Nov.  21/61;  transferred  to 
V.  R.  C.,  May  1/64. 

*JAGERS,  ANTON.  Enlisted  at  Jefferson  City,  Mo.,  Oct.  19,  '61 ;  died  at 
Vicksburg,  Aug.  23,  '63. 

*JOHNSTONE,  JOHN.   Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  22/61 ;  died  May  22/62. 

KELLOGG,  PETER.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  29,  '61;  corporal  at  or 
ganization;  deserted  Dec.  20,  '62. 

*KENNEDY,  JOHN.    Enlisted  at  Industry,  Nov.  28,  '61;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

LEE,  MARSHALL.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  25,  '61;  corporal  at  or 
ganization;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

LEPER,  WILLIAM  H.  Enlisted  at  Polo,  Oct.  29,  '61;  discharged  for  disa 
bility  March  12,  '62. 

LIVERMORE,  WILLIAM  H.  Enlisted  at  Polo,  Oct.  29,  '61;  veteran; 
wounded  at  Ezra  Church,  July  28,  '64,  losing  a  leg;  discharged  for 
wounds  Feb.  5,  '65. 

LYNCH,  JEREMIAH.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  29/61;  wounded  in 
head  at  Shiloh,  and  at  Vicksburg  lost  a  hand;  discharged  for  wounds 
Oct.  21,  '63. 

MCCREEDY,  JAMES.    Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  first-sergeant 


COMPANY    H.  505 

at  organization;  slightly  wounded  at  Shiloh  in  breast;  transferred  to 

V.  R.  C,  May  1/64. 
MERRICK,  JOHN  D.    Enlisted  at  Industry,  Nov.  5,  '61;  promoted  corporal; 

wounded  at  Shiloh;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

MILLER,  EDWARD.    Enlisted  at  Polo,  Oct.  25,  '61;  deserted  May  20,  '62. 
NASH,  SAMUEL.    Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  20,  '61 ;   mustered  out  Oct. 

31 1  '64- 

NIKIRK,  FRANCIS  M.  Enlisted  at  Adeline,  Oct.  29/61;  veteran;  pro 
moted  sergeant;  slightly  wounded  July  22,  '64,  at  Atlanta;  mustered 
out  with  regiment. 

INOURSE,  HENRY  S.  Captain,  to  date  from  Dec.  19,  '62,  promoted  from 
adiutant;  appointed  commissary  of  musters  i/th  A.  C.,  Oct.  24,  '64; 
mustered  out  on  expiration  of  service,  March  29,  '65.  See  Field  and 
Staff. 

*O'MEALLY,  PATRICK  F.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Oct.  22, '61;  corporal  at 
organization;  died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  in  1862. 

OSTERHAUT,  MATTHEW.  Enlisted  at  Buffalo  Grove,  Oct.  21,  '61 ;  sergeant 
at  organization;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64,  as  private.  Died  since  war. 

OWEN,  CHARLES.    Enlisted  at  Polo,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

PALMETIER,  JESSE.  Enlisted  at  Polo,  Oct.  29,  '64;  wounded  in  leg  at  Shi 
loh,  and  discharged  Aug.  9,  '63,  for  wounds. 

PAY,  EPHRAIM.    Enlisted  at  Polo,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

*PHILO,  EDWARD.     Enlisted  at   Polo,  Oct.  29,  '61;    veteran:   died  July 
29,  '64,  of  wounds  received  July  28,  '64,  at  Ezra  Church. 

*POTTER,  HENRY.  Enlisted  at  Polo,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  died  at  Pittsburg  Land 
ing,  March  28.  '62. 

*PULVER,  ANDREW.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  29,  '61;  killed  at 
Shiloh. 

RANDOLPH,  WILLIAM  F.  Enlisted  at  Industry,  Nov.  6,  '61;  wounded  at 
Jonesboro',  Sept.  i,  '64;  mustered  out  June  14,  '65. 

REED,  MONTGOMERY.  Enlisted  at  Adeline,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  detailed  as 
teamster;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64.  Died  since  the  war. 

REED,  REUBEN  P.  Enlisted  at  Polo,  Oct.  19,  '61 ;  corporal  at  organiza 
tion;  discharged  for  disability  Jan.  28,  '63;  re-enlisted  Jan.  5,  '64,  as 
veteran  recruit;  mustered  out  as  sergeant  with  regiment. 

RICHARDS,  NELSON.  Enlisted  at  Adeline,  Oct.  29,  '61;  deserted  Dec. 
20,  '62. 

IRICHARDSON,  ARTEMUS  C.  Enlisted  at  Adeline,  Oct.  19,  '61 ;  corporal 
at  organization;  promoted  sergeant  and  first-sergeant;  wounded  in  leg 
at  Shiloh;  veteran;  promoted  first-lieutenant,  to  date  from  May  19,  '65. 

ROBINSON,  SETH  C.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  deserted  Dec. 
20,  '62. 

RUTHERFORD,  DAVID.  Recruit;  enlisted  at  Chicago,  Jan.  18,  '64;  re 
ported  deserter  April,  '65. 

|SCOTT,  FRANCIS  A.  Transferred  from  I  as  second-lieutenant,  to  date 
from  July  I,  '62;  promoted  captain,  to  date  from  May  19,  '6$;  mustered 
out  with  regiment.  See  L  Killed  on  railroad  near  Baltimore,  Md., 
Aug.  17,  1887. 

SCOTT,  JAMES.    Enlisted  at  Polo,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

SHERMAN,  SYLVESTER  M.  Enlisted  at  Morris,  Aug.  27, '61;  drummer; 
veteran;  wounded  in  neck  at  Jonesboro',  Aug.  31,  '64;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

SMITH,  DAVID  B.  enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  29,  '61;  wounded  in 
shoulder  at  Shiloh,  and  discharged  for  wound  Dec.  I,  '62. 

SMITH,  J.  AUGUST.  Enlisted  at  Adeline,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  promoted  sergeant 
Oct.  10, '62;  sergeant-major.  See  Field  and  Staff . 

*SMITH,  JOHN.    Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh 
in  leg;  missing  July  22,  '64,  at  Atlanta — undoubtedly  mortally  wounded 
and  captured. 
35 


506  APPENDIX. 

SOWLES,  JOSEPH  M.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  22,  '61;  promoted 
sergeant;  veteran;  wounded  July  28,  '64,  at  Ezra  Church,  in  foot;  dis 
charged  June  25,  '65,  for  wound. 

SPENCER,  GEORGE.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  20,  '61 ;  deserted  May 
20,  '62. 

STEWART,  CHARLES.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  deserted 
Nov.  17,  '62. 

STEWART,  SAMUEL.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  discharged 
for  disability  Jan.  I,  '63. 

*STEWART,  WILLIAM  A.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  wounded 
at  Shiloh,  leg  amputated,  and  died  June  16,  '62. 

SWEENEY,  JOHN.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Sept.  20,  '61 ;  discharged  for  disa 
bility  March  31,  '62. 

TAYLOR,  BYRON  F.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  22, '61;  fifer;  acted 
as  principal  musician  for  some  time;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

TEACHOUT,  CYRUS.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  wounded  in 
face  at  Shiloh,  and  discharged  for  wound  July  1 1,  '62.  Died  since  war. 

TEITGE,  WILLIAM  C.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  wounded  at 
Vicksburg,  May  19,  '64;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

*TERRELL,  JOHN  A.  Enlisted  at  Byron,  Oct.  29,  '61 ;  died  at  Camp  Doug 
las,  Chicago. 

*TROUT,  LEWIS.    Enlisted  at  Galesburg,  Nov.  8,  '61 ;  died  March  30,  '62. 

*WAGONER,  ALBERT.    Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Oct.  22,  '61;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

|*WELDON,  JAMES.  Transferred  from  I;  promoted  first-lieutenant  at  or 
ganization;  died  April  19,  '62,  of  wound  in  leg,  received  at  Shiloh. 
See  L 

*WETHERAL,  RICHARD  W.  Enlisted  at  Chicago,  Nov.  28. '61;  died  at 
St.  Louis,  Mo. 

*WILCOX,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  22,  '61;  killed  at 
Shiloh. 

WILCOX,  LAFAYETTE.    Enlisted  at  Milledgeville,  Oct.  22, '61;  wounded 
in  hand  at  Shiloh,  and  never  rejoined  company. 
Recruits  from  ii6th  111.  Infty.,  assigned  to  H  in  1865,  to  finish  their 

terms  of  enlistment.    James  M.  Betzer,  Joseph  A.  Blythe,  Thomas  Bon- 

ser,  William  Clay,  Alex.  R.  Davis,  Aquila  Gromley,  Giles  W.  Gromley, 

Stephen  B.  Johnson,  Peter  Lux,  James  McKee,  Joseph  McKee,  Joseph 

Miller,  Josiah  Minich,  Joseph  E.  Moffett,  James  Peck,  Jerome  Peck,  John 

W.  Slavens,  Robert  Wagoner. 


COMPANY    I. 

Two  embryo  organizations  then  in  Camp  Douglas  —  one  from  La  Salle, 
the  other  from  Grundy  county  —  were  consolidated  to  form  this  company. 
At  the  muster-in  of  the  Fifty-fifth,  some  of  the  surplus  men  were  trans 
ferred  to  D  and  H,  and  with  them  went  acting  First-Lieutenant  Shaw  and 
Sergeant  James  Weldon,  to  serve  as  officers  of  those  companies.  At 
later  periods  of  the  war  Lucien  B.  Crooker  and  Francis  A.  Scott  were 
transferred  for  promotion  to  other  companies.  Richard  Taylor  became 
an  officer  in  the  First  Mississippi  Cavalry.  During  the  war  I  had  four 
captains,  five  first-lieutenants,  three  second-lieutenants,  and  five  orderly- 
sergeants.  One  of  its  captains,  Charles  A.  Andress,  became  the  last 
commander  of  the  regiment,  as  lieutenant-colonel. 

A  pronounced  peculiarity  of  the  company  was  the  considerable  pro 
portion  of  Germans  in  it,  most  of  whom  were  notably  good  soldiers.  It 


COMPANY    1.  5°7 

was  also  conspicuous  in  the  regiment  for  the  musical  talent  and  propensi 
ties  of  its  men.  The  most  noteworthy  experience  of  I,  separate  from  the 
regimental  line,  was  in  the  battle  at  Russell's  House,  May  17, 1862,  where 
five  men  were  wounded  out  of  about  thirty  engaged.  At  the  outset  it 
had  in  its  ranks  twelve  pairs  of  brothers,  four  of  whom  were  killed,  two 
mortally  wounded  and  nine  otherwise  wounded  —  some  of  them  twice, 
and  one  four  times. 

There  were  probably  about  seventy  men  of  the  company  who  actually 
faced  the  risk  of  battle.  Fourteen  were  shot  dead,  six  of  these  being 
slain  by  artillery  missiles.  Forty-two  were  wounded,  six  of  the  injuries 
being  fatal.  Only  four  died  of  disease,  and  but  ten  recruits  were  re 
ceived.  Nine  were  discharged  for  wounds,  fifteen  for  other  disability, 
and  two  were  transferred  to  the  V.  R.  C. 

It  does  not  seem  necessary  to  enter  upon  any  eulogy  of  Company  I. 
It  of  right  claims  one-tenth  of  the  credit  won  by  the  regiment.  The  mil 
itary  record  of  its  men  will  be  found  in  the  following  roster,  as  complete 
as  should  be  expected  at  this  late  day,  and  since  all  that  is  known  ap 
pears  following  each  name,  further  comment  here  is  unnecessary.  But 
little  can  be  learned  about  those  comrades  who  survived  the  war,  and  as 
to  the  most  of  them  it  is  not  ascertained  whether  they  are  alive  or  dead. 

IANDRESS,   CHARLES  A.     Second-sergeant  at  organization;    promoted 
second-lieutenant  to  date  from  March  5,  '62;   captain,  to  date  from 


April  5,  '63;  veteran;  promoted  lieutenant-colonel,  to  date  from  June 
12/65;  mustered  out  with  regiment.     Died  in    1876.     See  Field  c 
Staff. 


IANDRESS,  DORSEY  C.  Corporal  at  organization;  promoted  sergeant 
March  i,  '62;  orderly-sergeant,  Dec.  29,  '62;  commissary-sergeant, 
March  12,  '64;  veteran;  promoted  first-lieuteuant,  to  rank  from  June 
12,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment.  See  Field  and  Staff. 

ANDREWS,  GEORGE  A.  Enlisted  Aug.  2,  '61 ;  wounded  by  musket-ball  in 
right  foot  before  Atlanta,  Aug.  26,  '64;  veteran;  mustered  out  with 
regiment. 

ARMSTRONG,  JOHN.  Corporal  at  organization;  promoted  sergeant;  cap 
tured  at  Shiloh;  discharged  for  disability  after  exchange. 

ADAMS,  THOMAS.    Corporal  at  organization;  transferred  to  H,  Nov.  I,  '61. 

ALLEN,  WILLIAM  P.  Enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  fifer;  discharged  Jan.  '62,  for 
disability. 

*BAIRD,  WILLIAM  W.  Enlisted  Oct.  7,  '61 ;  killed  by  musket-shot  through 
head,  at  Shiloh. 

BAKER,  JOHN  F.  Enlisted  Oct.  5,  '61;  term  extended  for  desertion;  dis 
charged  March  29,  '65. 

BATTLE,  EDWARD.  Enlisted  Oct.  25,  '61;  soon  transferred  to  his  former 
regiment,  Mulligan's  Brigade. 

BERGSTRESSER,  SAMUEL  B.  Enlisted  Oct.  2, '61;  discharged  for  disabil 
ity  Jan.  28,  '63. 

BERLIN,  JOHN.  Enlisted  Sept.  27, '61;  veteran;  mustered  out  with  regi 
ment.  Killed  by  railroad  accident  in  1885. 

BLAHS,  GEORGE.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '62;  wounded  by  musket-shot  in  face 
at  Shiloh;  veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

BOGART,  ABRAHAM.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61;  corporal  at  organization;  dis 
charged  by  furnishing  substitute. 

BOGART,  EDWARD  D.    Enlisted  Nov.  i,'6i;  wounded  in  elbow  joint  by 


APPENDIX. 

musket-ball  at  Russell's  House,  May  17,  '62;  discharged  therefor  Oct. 
4,  '62. 

*BOGART,  CHARLES  D.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '62;  died  at  St.  Louis,  May 
12,  '62. 

BOOKHALT,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  Oct.  25,  '61;  wounded  at  Russell's 
House  by  musket-ball  in  arm,  May  17/62;  veteran;  captured  before 
Atlanta,  July  22,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

BOYD,  MICHAEL.    Recruit;  enlisted  Oct.  i,'64;  deserted  at  once. 

BROOKS,  BRANSON.    Enlisted  Sept.  28,  '61 ;  deserted  Nov.  26,  '62. 

BROWN,  AMBROSE.  Enlisted  Oct.  4,  '61;  detailed  to  assist  surgeon;  dis 
charged  for  disability  Aug.  25,  '62. 

*CARPENTER,  JESSE  A.  Enlisted  Aug.  26,  '61 ;  killed  by  musket-shot 
through  head  at  Shiloh. 

CLARK,  JOHN  T.  Enlisted  Oct.  20,  '61;  for  a  time  corporal  and  sergeant; 
wounded  by  musket-shot  in  arm  at  Russell's  House,  May  17,  ,62; 
wounded  in  leg  by  cannon-shot  at  Arkansas  Post,  Jan.  10,  '63;  veteran; 
mustered  out  as  corporal  with  regiment. 

COLLAR,  EPHRAIM.    Enlisted  Aug.  26,  '61 ;  deserted  June  26,  '62. 

CONSTANTINE,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  veteran;  promoted  cor 
poral  and  sergeant;  captured  on  march  in  '65;  mustered  out  with  reg 
iment. 

*CooK,  ELI  L.  Enlisted  Aug.  28,  '61;  corporal  at  organization;  mortally 
wounded  by  musket-shot  through  hip  at  Shiloh. 

*CROCKER,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  Aug.  26,  '61 ;  veteran;  mortally  wound 
ed  by  loss  of  arm  at  Jonesboro',  Aug.  31,  '64. 

CROCKER,  JOSEPH  W.  Enlisted  Oct,  2, '61;  deserted  while  on  sick  fur 
lough. 

CROOKER,  CHARLES  A.  Enlisted  Aug.  26, '61;  discharged  for  disability 
July  15,  '62. 

ICROOKER,  LUCIEN  B.  Enlisted  Aug.  26,  '61 ;  orderly-sergeant  at  organi 
zation;  promoted  first-lieutenant  March  5, '62;  received  three  wounds 
at  Shiloh;  transferred  for  promotion.  See  F. 

•fCROOKER,  JABEZ  C.  Captain  at  organization;  resigned  at  Paducah  in 
Feb.,  '62. 

DHELO,  CHARLES.  Enlisted  Aug.  26,  '61,  wounded  in  shoulder  by  can 
non-shot  at  Vicksburg,  May  22,  '63;  discharged  therefor  Nov.  12,  '63. 

DENMAN,  FRANCIS  M.  Enlisted  Oct.  5/61;  veteran;  promoted  corporal 
and  sergeant;  wounded  in  left  leg  by  musket-ball  at  Atlanta,  July  22, 
'64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

DOWLING,  NORTON  H.  Enlisted  Aug.  26,  '61;  wounded  by  musket-shot 
in  leg  at  Russell's  House,  May  17,  '62;  discharged  therefor  Jan.  28,  '63. 

JEBERSOLD,  FREDERICK.  Enlisted  Sept.  22, '61;  sergeant  at  organiza 
tion;  promoted  orderly-sergeant  April  7,  '62;  wounded  in  breast  at 
Shiloh;  promoted  second-lieutenant,  to  date  from  Dec.  29,  '62;  first- 
lieutenant,  to  date  from  April  5,  '63;  veteran;  promoted  captain,  to 
date  from  Jan.  12,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

EBERSOLD,  PETER.  Enlisted  Sept.  22, '61;  wounded  by  musket-shot  at 
Vicksburg,  May  22,  '63;  veteran;  wounded  and  captured  near  Benton- 
ville,  N.  C,  March  19,  '65. 

EDWARDS,  JOSEPH  W.  Enlisted  Sept.  13,  '61,  as  drummer;  wounded  in 
shoulder  by  musket-shot,  May  19,  '63,  at  Vicksburg;  wounded  in  right 
leg  by  musket-shot  at  Kenesaw,  June  27,  '64;  discharged  for  wounds. 

FAIRCHILD,  HIRAM.     Enlisted  Aug.  7/61;  deserted  April  10,  '62. 

*FISKE,  CHARLES  R.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61;  promoted  corporal;  killed 
by  cannon-shot  at  Shiloh. 

FRARY,  GEORGE.    Enlisted  Aug.  7,  '61;  deserted  Nov.  14,  '61. 

GARRISON,  JOHN  H.  Enlisted  Aug.  26,  '61;  sergeant  at  organization;  re 
duced  to  ranks;  discharged  for  disability. 


COMPANY    I.  5°9 

GARVIS,  DAVID.  Enlisted  Oct.  7,  '61;  wounded  in  arm  by  musket-shot  at 
Shiloh;  discharged  therefor  Jan.  28,  '63. 

GHERING,  CHRISTIAN.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61;  bugler;  discharged  at  St. 
Louis,  Aug.  21,  '62,  for  disability. 

*GRANTZERT,  JOHN  P.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61;  promoted  corporal;  killed 
by  cannon-shot  at  Shiloh. 

GROSSHARDT,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  Sept.  8,  '61 ;  discharged  for  disability 
Sept.  15/62. 

HARRIS,  HEMAN  F.  Enlisted  Oct.  2/61;  veteran;  wounded  in  right  leg 
by  musket-shot  at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

HECK,  PHILIP.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61;  captured  at  Shiloh;  veteran;  mus 
tered  out  with  regiment. 

*HENLINE,  ADAM.  Enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  killed  by  musket-shot  through 
head  at  Kenesaw,  June  27,  '64. 

HILL,  HAMILTON.    Enlisted  Sept.  22,  '61;  discharged  for  disability  soon. 

HOFF,  HENRY.  Enlisted  Aug.  26, '61;  promoted  corporal,  and  reduced 
at  his  own  request;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

HOLDEN,  DENNIS.    Enlisted  Oct.  12,  '61;  died  at  Nashville,  April  3,  '64. 

HORSELY,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61;  mortally  wounded  by 
musket-shot  in  shoulder  at  Shiloh. 

HOTTINGER,  ALBERT.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61;  wounded  in  head  by  mus 
ket-shot  at  Shiloh;  never  returned  to  regiment. 

*HUGHES,  THOMAS.  Enlisted  Aug.  27, '61;  promoted  sergeant  March  I, 
'62;  killed  by  cannon-shot  at  Shiloh. 

HUGHES,  ANTHONY.  Enlisted  Aug.  7/61;  veteran;  wounded  in  right 
arm  by  musket-shot  at  Jonesboro',  Sept.  i,  '64;  mustered  out  with  reg 
iment. 

INGERSOL,  BEN  F.  Enlisted  Oct.  9,  '61;  promoted  corporal;  veteran; 
promoted  sergeant;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*KAPPET  SEBASTIAN.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh  by  mus 
ket-shot;  died  at  Chattanooga,  Nov.  3,  '64. 

KEOLINE,  JOSEPH.  Recruit;  enlisted  Feb.  24, '65;  mustered  out  with  reg 
iment. 

KEOPPER,  HENRY.  Enlisted  Oct.  i.'6i;  wounded  in  leg  by  musket-shot 
at  Shiloh;  veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*KIMBERK,  FRANK  L.  Enlisted  Aug.  7,  '61 ;  wounded  in  arm  by  musket- 
shot  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  July  10,  '63;  promoted  corporal;  killed  by  mus 
ket-shot  at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64. 

KIMBERK,  GEORGE  L.  Enlisted  Aug.  7,  '61;  wounded  by  musket-shot  at 
Shiloh;  veteran;  deserted  Oct.  10/64. 

KLEINGENMAIR,  MICHAEL.  Recruit;  enlisted  Dec.  15,  '63;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

KRUGER,  JOHN.   Recruit;  enlisted  Jan.  i,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

KUTZ,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61 ;  fifer;  promoted  principal  musi 
cian;  veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment.  See  Field  and  Staff. 

LARRABEE,  JAMES  W.  Enlisted  Oct.  29,  '61;  wounded  in  arm  by  musket- 
shot  at  Shiloh;  promoted  corporal;  wounded  in  neck  by  musket-shot 
while  with  forlorn  hope  at  Vicksburg,  May  22,  '63;  promoted  sergeant; 
veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

LAYERS,  PETER.  Recruit;  enlisted  Jan,  15. '64;  mustered  out  with  regi 
ment. 

LIEHER,  Louis.    Enlisted  Oct.  15,  '61;  deserted  on  sick  leave  Dec.  20/62. 

LITTLEFIELD,  ALEXANDER.  Enlisted  Aug.  16, '61;  wounded  in  face  by 
musket-shot  at  Vicksburg,  May  22,  '63;  veteran;  promoted  corporal; 
mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*LULL,  CHARLES  E.  Enlisted  Aug.  26,  '61;  promoted  corporal;  mortally 
wounded  by  musket-shot  through  arm  at  Shiloh. 

LUMAS,  LUMOT.    Recruit;  enlisted  Dec.  7,  '63;  transferred  to  V.  R.  C. 

LYNN,  WILLIAM  A.    Enlisted  Sept.  8,  '61 ;  wounded  by  musket-shot  in  leg 


APPENDIX. 

at  Shiloh;  promoted  sergeant;  reduced  to  ranks;  veteran;  deserted 
June  25,  '65. 

MALCOMB,  STEPHEN  R.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61;  promoted  corporal;  pro 
moted  sergeant;  wounded  in  right  arm  by  musket-shot  at  Kenesaw, 
June  27,  '64;  captured  at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

MATLOCK,  JOHN  W.  Enlisted  Oct.  15,  '61;  veteran;  wounded  in  right 
arm  by  musket-shot  at  Kenesaw,  June  27,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regi 
ment. 

*MARSHALL,  DAVID.  Enlisted  Oct.  2, '61;  veteran;  killed  by  musket- 
shot  through  head  at  Kenesaw,  June  27,  '64. 

*MAYS,  ROBERT.  Enlisted  Oct.  19,  '61 ;  mortally  wounded  by  musket- 
shot  at  Shiloh. 

MERRITT,  JOHN  E.  Enlisted  Oct.  2, '61;  teamster;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31/64. 

MITCHELL,  ANDREW  J.  Enlisted  Aug.  26, '61 ;  promoted  corporal;  re 
duced  to  ranks;  deserted  Jan.  22,  '63. 

MULLALY,  BARNEY.  Enlisted  May  27,  '61;  discharged  for  disability  Jan. 
28,  '63. 

*NAGLESCHMIDT,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  Sept.  22,  '61 ;  wounded  by  musket- 
shot  at  Shiloh;  wounded  by  musket-shot  at  Arkansas  Post,  Jan.  n,  '63; 
died  at  Memphis  Oct.  21,  '63. 

NEEDHAM,  RICHARD.  Enlisted  Aug.  27, '61;  veteran;  captured  at  Atlan 
ta,  July  22,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment.  Died  since  the  war. 

*O'NEAL,  PATRICK.  Enlisted  Oct.  5,  '61;  killed  by  musket-shot  through 
body  at  Shiloh. 

PACY,  JOHN.    Enlisted  Oct.  11,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

PEART,  CHARLES.  Enlisted  Aug.  26,  '61 ;  discharged  for  disability  Feb. 
20,  '62. 

PEART,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  Sept.  22,  '61;  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.,  April 
30,  '64. 

PETERS,  PETER.  Enlisted  Oct.  5,  '61;  captured  at  Shiloh;  veteran;  mus 
tered  out  with  regiment. 

POUNDS,  BEN  F.  Enlisted  May  26,  '61;  drummed  out  of  Camp  Douglas 
for  worthlessness. 

PRATT,  JAMES  O.    Enlisted  Oct.  4,  '61;  deserted  Dec.  20,  '62. 

RAY,  CHARLES  D.  Enlisted  Oct.  3, '61;  veteran;  captured  at  Atlanta, 
July  22,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

*RAYDING,  MICHAEL.  Enlisted  Aug.  26,  '61;  killed  by  cannon-shot  near 
Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  19,  '64. 

REUDY,  JOHN.    Enlisted  Sept.  26,  '61 ;  discharged  for  disability  Jan.  28/63. 

ROCKWOOD,  JOHN  B.  Enlisted  Aug.  26,  '62;  corporal  at  organization; 
wounded  by  musket-shot  in  abdomen  at  Shiloh;  discharged  therefor. 

SCOTT,  FRANCIS  A.  Enlisted  Aug.  27, '61;  corporal  at  organization;  pro 
moted  sergeant;  transferred  for  promotion.  See  H. 

ISEELBACH,  PHILIP.  First-lieutenant  at  organization;  resigned  March  5, 
'62.  Drowned  while  officer  in  another  regiment. 

•fSHAW,  FRANCIS  H.  Enlisted  Aug.  26,  '61 ;  lieutenant;  transferred  for 
promotion  at  organization.  See  D  and  C. 

SHERMAN,  SYLVESTER.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61;  transferred  to  H  at  organ 
ization.  See  H. 

SHIELDS,  JOHN.  Enlisted  Aug.  6,  '61;  wounded  by  musket-shot  in  leg  at 
Vicksburg,  May  22,  '63;  mustered  out  Nov.  3,  '64. 

SIMPSON,  ADAM.  Enlisted  Aug.  7, '61;  promoted  corporal,  and  reduced 
at  his  own  request;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

SKINNER,  JOHN.    Enlisted  Dec.  8,  '61 ;  discharged  July  12,  '62. 

SLATTERY,  TIMOTHY.  Enlisted  Sept.  12,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  veteran; 
mustered  out  with  regiment. 

SLATTERY,  PATRICK.  Enlisted  Aug.  7,  '61;  promoted  corporal  Oct.  11, 
'62;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 


COMPANY    K.  S11 

tSLATTERY,  TIMOTHY.  Second-lieutenant  at  organization;  promoted  cap 
tain,  to  rank  from  Feb.  18,  '62;  served  on  staff  of  General  Stuart  from 
Jan.  8,  '63;  resigned  April  4,  '63. 

*SLATTERY,  EDWARD.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61 ;  promoted  orderly-sergeant 
March  i,  '62;  killed  by  cannon-shot  at  Shiloh,  April  7,  '62. 

SMITH,  HENRY.  Recruit;  enlisted  Dec.  19,  '63;  mustered  out  with  regi 
ment. 

SMITH,  MARTIN.  Enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal,  sergeant,  and 
orderly-sergeant;  veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

STEVENS,  ALONZO.    Enlisted  Dec.  8,  '61;  veteran;  deserted  June  25,  '65. 

STOCKER,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  Dec.  8,  '61;  discharged  for  disability  July 
12,  '62. 

*STOCKER,  CHARLES  R.  Enlisted  Aug.  27, '61;  veteran;  killed  by  mus 
ket-shot  at  Jonesboro',  Aug.  31,  '64. 

STRICKER,  BENJAMIN.  Recruit;  enlisted  March  22,  '64;  discharged  Sept. 
26,  '64. 

*TANSY,  CHARLES  R.  Enlisted  Oct.  2,  '61;  killed  by  musket-shot  at 
Shiloh. 

TAYLOR,  RICHARD.  Enlisted  Aug.  7/61;  discharged  for  promotion  to 
first-lieutenant  in  First  Miss.  Colored  Cavalry,  Dec.  5,  '63. 

TAYLOR,  ANDREW.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61;  deserted  Nov.  16,  '61.  Served 
in  another  regiment. 

ULLMAN,  GEORGE.  Enlisted  Sept.  22,  '61;  wounded  in  shoulder  by  mus 
ket-shot  at  Russell's  House,  May  17, '62;  discharged  therefor  Oct.  14, 
'62.  Re-enlisted  Jan.  29,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

WALTERS,  GEORGE.  Enlisted  Oct.  14, '61;  promoted  corporal;  veteran; 
mustered  out  with  regiment. 

WATKINS,  JAMES  R.    Enlisted  Sept.  16,  '61;  deserted  Dec.  20,  '62. 

WELDON,  JAMES.  Enlisted  Aug.  n,'6i;  sergeant;  transferred  for  pro 
motion.  See  H. 

WELDON,  JOHN.  Enlisted  Aug.  7,  '64;  regimental  wagon-master;  cap 
tured  Dec.  20,  '62;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

WILLIAMS,  CURTIS.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61;  captured  at  Shiloh;  dis 
charged  before  return  to  regiment. 

WILMOT,  JOSEPH.  Enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  deserted  while  on  sick  furlough 
in  July,  '62. 

WILSON,  GEORGE  W.  Enlisted  Sept.  27,  '61 ;  wounded  by  musket-shot  at 
Shiloh;  discharged  therefor. 

*WHITE,  ARIOL  D.  Enlisted  Aug.  26,  '61 ;  mortally  wounded  by  cannon- 
shot  at  Shiloh. 

WHITMORE,  SYLVESTER  P.  Enlisted  Sept.  22,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal 
Aug.  1/62;  promoted  sergeant  Dec.  29,  '62;  veteran;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

WOLKE,  WILLIAM.  Enlisted  Aug.  27,  '61;  wounded  by  musket-shot  in 
shoulder  at  Shiloh;  discharged  therefor  Oct.  14,  '62. 

*WOOLNER,  GILLIS.  Recruit;  enlisted  Jan.  20,  '63;  killed  by  cannon- 
shot  near  Atlanta,  Aug.  22,  '64. 

YOUNG,  JOHN.  Recruit;    enlisted  Jan.  16, '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 


COMPANY   K. 

Rev.  Milton  L.  Haney  recruited  this  company  at  Abingdon.  The 
first  man  enlisted  was  Joseph  Black,  a  merchant  of  Abingdon,  on  the  I7th 
of  October,  1861.  He  was  followed  by  Rev.  B.  C.  Swartz,  an  active  and 
esteemed  minister  of  the  M.  E.  church.  Their  patriotic  example  was 
quickly  copied  by  others  of  the  best  citizens  of  the  country  about,  mostly 


APPENDIX. 

young  men  of  vigorous  frames  and  good  capacity.  By  the  22d  of  the 
same  month  one  hundred  and  two  names  had  been  enrolled.  On  that  day 
the  company  was  duly  organized  by  the  election  of  Joseph  Black  captain, 
B.  C.  Swartz  first-lieutenant,  and  A.  J.  Gillett  second-lieutenant.  Two 
days  later  it  marched  into  Camp  Douglas,  every  man  in  his  place. 

In  personnel  this  body  of  men,  enrolled  within  five  days,  was  the  peer 
of  any,  and  its  after  service  brought  honor  to  the  county  and  regiment. 
A  few  of  those  enrolled  were  rejected  at  the  muster-in,  and  there  were 
added  to  the  ranks  while  in  Camp  Douglas,  J.  T.  McAuley,  E.  C.  Law 
rence,  H.  A.  Smith,  John  Q.  Averill.  Six  recruits  were  received  early  in 
1865.  The  men  so  diligently  improved  their  time  in  the  camps  of  in 
struction,  that  when  the  time  came  for  the  company  to  enter  the  field  it 
was  as  proficient  in  drill  and  discipline  as  those  which  had  been  under 
instruction  much  longer.  The  excellent  morale  of  the  company  was 
largely  due  to  Captain  Black's  efforts,  he  soon  proving  himself  a  fine 
executive  officer,  firm  and  impartial. 

While  the  company  was  upon  picket  duty  near  Shelby  Depot,  Tenn., 
in  the  night  of  October  22,  1862,  they  were  fired  upon  by  guerillas,  and 
Captain  Black  and  Sergeant  W.  D.  Lomax  were  slightly  wounded.  From 
November  26,  1862,  until  February  7,  1863,  Captain  Black  alternated  with 
two  other  senior  captains  in  acting  as  major  of  the  regiment.  At  the 
latter  date  he  resigned,  and  on  the  gih  of  March,  H.  H.  Kendrick  became 
captain.  With  the  exception  of  First-Lieutenant  Joseph  Hartsook,  pro 
moted  from  sergeant-major  September  26,  1863,  all  the  officers  of  K  were 
furnished  from  its  own  ranks. 

Five  of  the  volunteers  for  the  storming  party  of  twenty  furnished  by 
the  55th  at  Vicksburg,  May  22,  1863,  were  from  K;  namely:  R.  M.  Cox, 
Milton  Bellwood  killed,  James  Donahue  killed,  Robert  A.  Lower,  and 
William  Walker. 

The  actual  members  of  the  company  mustered  in  during  the  war 
were  113.  Of  these  the  killed  in  battle  numbered  8;  wounded  in  action, 
36;  captured,  7.  Of  the  wounded,  6  died  and  4  were  discharged.  The 
discharged  for  disability  numbered  26,  and  5  were  transferred  to  the  V. 
R.  C.;  ii  died  of  disease  and  2  deserted;  6  were  transferred  to  other 
companies  before  entering  the  field. 

ANDERSON,  JOHN.  Henderson;  enlisted  Oct.  17/61;  went  home  sick  on 
leave.  No  further  record. 

*ANDREWS,  A.  M.  Farmington;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  died  at  Jefferson 
Barracks,  Mo.,  June  20,  '63. 

AVERILL,  JOHN.  Transferred  from  B,  Nov.  8,  '61;  musician;  veteran; 
promoted  principal  musician  March  i,  '64.  See  B  and  Field  and  Staff. 

BABBITT,  HARRY.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  23,  '61;  corporal  at  organiza 
tion;  promoted  sergeant;  discharged  for  disability  Sept.  4,  '62. 

BALDWIN,  MARTIN.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  transferred  to  V. 
R.  C.,  Sept.  30,  '63. 

BEESON,  H.  T.  Elmwood;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  went  home  sick  on  fur 
lough  and  did  not  re-join  command.  Served  again  in  io3d  111.  Infty. 

BELLWOOD,  LEMUEL.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  wounded  at 
Shiloh,  and  discharged  for  wound  June  20,  '62. 


COMPANY    K.  5J3 

*BELLWOOD,  MILTON.    Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  killed  at  Vicks- 

burg  May  22,  '63,  in  storming  party. 

fBLACK,  JOSEPH.    Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  17,  '61;   captain  at  organiza 
tion;  slightly  wounded  at  Shelby  Depot,  Tenn.,  Oct.  21,  '62;   resigned 

Feb.  9,  '63. 
BLISS,  SETH.    A  substitute  recruit;  transferred  to  45th  111.  Infty.  March 

18,  '65. 
BONHAM,  B.  A.    Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  discharged  for  disability 

April,  I  '62. 
BROWN,  C.  F.    Elmwood;   enlisted  Oct.  22, '61;   discharged  for  age  and 

stature  Nov.  7,  '61. 
BURNAUGH,  WILLIAM  H.    Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22, '61;   corporal  at 

organization;  promoted  color  sergeant;  mustered  out  Oct.  31,  64. 
*BUTTERFIELD,  DAVID.    Farmington;    enlisted  Oct.   22,  '61;   promoted 

first-sergeant  March  1/62;  discharged  for  disability  April  i,  '62,  and 

died  April  20,  '62. 
CAMPBELL,  JOSEPH.    Sparta;  recruit;  enlisted  Jan.  26, '65;  mustered  out 

with  regiment. 
CATLIN,  OWEN.    Substitute  recruit,  never  joined;  transferred  to  45th  111. 

Infty.,  March  8,  '65. 
CHESNEY,  WILLIAM  C.    Abingdon;    enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;   wounded  at 

Shiloh;  veteran;  discharged  at  Mound  City  hospital  July  31,  '65. 
COGHLIN,  JOHN.    Louisville;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  discharged  for  disabil 
ity  June  28,  '63. 
*CONNOR,  JOHN.    Elmwood;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;    killed  at  Jonesboro', 

Ga.,  Sept.  i,  '64. 

COOMES,  JOSEPH  P.    St.  Augustine;  enlisted  Oct.  22, '61;  veteran;    pro 
moted  corporal;  taken  prisoner   at  Atlanta,  July  22,  64;    exchanged 

from  Anderson ville;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
Cox,  ROBERT  M.    St.  Augustine;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal; 

veteran;  wounded  in  assault  upon  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64; 

mustered  out  with  regiment. 
COY,  GEORGE  C.    Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;    promoted  corporal; 

veteran;  wounded  at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64;  promoted  sergeant  July  25, 

'65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

COY,  U.  D.    Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  discharged  for  age  Nov.  7/61. 
CROUCH,  HIRAM.    Sparta;   recruit;   enlisted  Jan.  26,  '65;   mustered  out 

with  regiment. 

CURTICE,  DANIEL.    Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  discharged  for  disa 
bility  Nov.  7,  '61. 
DAVIS,  MOSES  S.    Henderson;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  transferred  to  V.  R. 

C.,  Nov.  30,  '63. 
DEAN,  WILLIAM  H.     Henderson;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  transferred  to  V. 

R.  C.,  May  1/64. 
DEWEY,  ISSACHAR  B.     Elmwood;   enlisted  Nov.  18,  '61;   discharged  for 

disability  Feb.  20,  '62. 
DICKEY,  HENRY.    Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;   mustered  out  Oct. 

31/64. 
*DONAHUE,  JAMES.    Farmington;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  killed  in  storming 

party  at  Vicksburg,  May  22,  '63. 
EDWARDS,  JOHN  W.    Cameron;  enlisted  Oct.  30,  '61;  promoted  corporal; 

prisoner  at  Shiloh,  and  exchanged;  veteran;  taken  prisoner  at  Atlanta 

July  22,  '64,  and  exchanged;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
*ENNIS,  J.  E.    Farmington;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh,  and 

died  of  wound  at  St.  Louis,  May  29,  '62. 
ENSELL,  CHARLES  K.    Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  first-sergeant  at 

organization;  discharged  for  disability  May  i,  '62. 
IFILLMORE  JOHN  H.    Abingdon;  enlisted  April  23,  '61,  in  First  Cavalry, 

captured  at  Lexington,  Mo.,  and  discharged  Oct.  9,  '61;  re-enlisted  in 
36 


5*4  APPENDIX. 

K,  Oct.  22,  '61;  sergeant  at  organization;  promoted  first-lieutenant,  to 
date  March  13,  '62;  mustered  out  Nov.  26,  '62,  for'disability. 

FORBES,  JOHN.  Elmwood;  enlisted  Oct.  22, '61;  sergeant  at  organization; 
discharged  for  disability  Aug.  14,  '62. 

FOREY,  OSTRANDO  D.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22, '61;  discharged  for 
disability  May  I,  '62. 

GENTRY,  I.  J.  Mt.  Vernon;  enlisted  Oct.  17,  '61;  discharged  for  disability 
Jan.  28,  '63. 

•fGiLLETT,  ANDREW  J.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  second-lieutenant 
at  organization;  resigned  April  7,  '62. 

GILLIAM,  JOHN  C.  Mt.  Vernon;  enlisted  Oct.  17/61;  veteran;  mustered 
out  with  regiment. 

*GOULD,  JESSE.  St.  Augustine;  enlisted  Oct.  22, '61;  captured  at  Black 
River,  Miss.,  Aug.  '63,  and  died  at  Belle  Isle,  Va.,  in  rebel  prison. 

*GREENE,  JOHN.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  killed  at  Amsterdam 
Ford  on  Black  River,  Miss.,  Aug.  14,  '63. 

JGROUNDS,  WILLIAM.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  23/61;  corporal  at  or 
ganization;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  promoted  sergeant,  June  9/62;  vet 
eran;  wounded  at  Jonesboro',  Aug.  31,  '64;  promoted  first-lieutenant, 
to  date  from  May  19,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

HALL,  WILLIAM  M.  St.  Augustine;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  discharged  for 
disability  June  18,  '62. 

'fHARTSOOK,  JOSEPH.  Transferred  by  promotion  from  sergeant-major  as 
first-lieutenant,  to  date  from  Nov.  26,  '62;  wounded  in  assault  on  Little 
Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64;  mustered  out  Nov.  19,  '64.  See  F,  and 
Field  and  Staff. 

HATFIELD,  DINGUS.  Berwick;  enlisted  Oct.  23/61;  wounded  at  Shiloh, 
and  discharged  for  wound  July  8,  '62. 

*HATFIELD,  JOSEPH.  Berwick;  enlisted  Oct.  23,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh, 
and  died  at  home. 

HAWTHORN,  JAMES.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  corporal  at  organi 
zation;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  discharged  for  disability. 

JACOBS,  NELSON.  Farmington;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  *6i ;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31/64. 

JACKSON,  M.  H.    Elmwood;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  mustered  out  Oct.  31/64. 

*JOHNSTON,  N.  H.  Galesburg;  enlisted  Oct.  20,  '61;  died  in  hospital  at 
Cape  Girardeau,  Mo. 

KAYS,  HENRY.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  mustered  out  while  at 
home  on  sick  furlough,  Oct.  31,  '64. 

IKAYS,  JAMES  W.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  corporal  at  organiza 
tion;  promoted  sergeant;  veteran;  wounded  in  assault  upon  Little 
Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64;  promoted  first-lieutenant,  to  date  from 
Nov.  19,  '64;  captain,  to  date  from  May  19,  '65;  mustered  out  with  reg 
iment. 

IKENDRICK,  HILAND  H.  Elmwood;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  sergeant  at  or 
ganization;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  promoted  first-sergeant  June  9,  '62; 
second-lieutenant,  July  i,  '62;  captain,  Feb.  9,  '63;  resigned  Sept.  16/64. 

KENNEY,  C.  E.  Mt.  Vernon;  enlisted  Oct.  17/61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
mustered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

LATIMER,  THOMAS  P.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  wounded  at  Shi 
loh;  promoted  corporal  Feb.  7,  '63;  veteran;  promoted  first-sergeant 
July  25,  '65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

tLAWRENCE,  ELIJAH  C.  Chicago;  enlisted  Nov.  14/61;  transferred  as 
second-lieutenant  to  B,  March  5,  '62.  See  B. 

|LoMAX,  WILLIAM  D.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  promoted  cor 
poral  March  1/62;  sergeant,  Aug.  14/62;  wounded  at  Shelby  Station, 
Tenn.,  Oct.  21,  '62;  promoted  second-lieutenant,  to  date  from  March  I, 
'63;  wounded  in  assault  upon  Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64;  mus 
tered  out  Oct.  31,  '64. 


COMPANY    K. 

LOWER,  ROBERT  A.  Elmwood;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31,  '64. 

*MAPES,  ASHBY.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22, '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh, 
and  died  of  wound  May  i,  '62. 

MARSHALL,  JAMES.  Abingdon;-  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
veteran;  promoted  corporal  Nov.  1/64;  sergeant,  June  i,  '65;  mustered 
out  with  regiment. 

*MASSEY,  JAMES  M.  Galesburg;  enlisted  Oct.  20,  '61;  sergeant  at  organ 
ization;  promoted  first-sergeant  April  i,  '62;  died  June  9,  '62. 

MATLOCK,  JOHN  W.  Henderson;  enlisted  Oct.  18/01;  transferred  to  I 
Jan.  4,  '62.  See  I, 

MAXON,  DUANE.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22, '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh, 
and  discharged  for  wound  June  18,  '62. 

McAuLEY,  JOHN  T.  Chicago;  enlisted  Nov.  14/61;  promoted  sergeant- 
major  Nov.  14,  '6 1.  See  Field  and  Staff,  B  and  C. 

McKiBBEN,  L.  C.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22, '61;  discharged  for  disa 
bility  Jan.  28,  '63. 

MCMULLEN,  ROBERT  W.  Elmwood;  enlisted  Nov.  7,  '61;  mustered  out 
Oct.  31,  '64. 

McVAY,  HUGH.  Herman;  enlisted  Oct.  22, '61;  discharged  for  disability 
May  29,  '62. 

McVAY,  ROBERT.  Herman;  enlisted  Oct.  22, '61;  promoted  corporal 
May  i,  '62;  sergeant,  July  i,  '62;  wounded  severely  at  Vicksburg,  May 
19,  '63;  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.,  July  15,  '64. 

*MILLER,  FRANCIS  M.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  died  in  hospital 
at  Paducah,  Ky.,  Feb.  20,  '62. 

MILLER.  MOLETUS.  Abingdon;  enlisted  April  23/61,  in  First  Cavalry, 
taken  prisoner  at  Lexington,  Mo.,  and  discharged  Oct.  9,  '61;  en 
listed  in  K,  Oct.  22, '61;  corporal  at  organization;  veteran;  promoted 
sergeant  June  1/65;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

MILLER,  WILLIAM.  Chicago;  recruit;  enlisted  Jan.  1 8, '64;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

*MOHLER,  LYMAN  B.  Virgil;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  veteran;  taken  pris 
oner  and  killed,  March  27,  '65,  near  Goldsboro',  N.  C. 

*MONEYMAKER,  J.  K.  P.  Galesburg;  enlisted  Oct.  20.  '61;  died  of  small 
pox  at  Young's  Point,  La.,  Feb.  8,  '63. 

MONEYMAKER,  WILLIAM  E.  Galesburg;  enlisted  Oct.  20,  '61;  veteran; 
taken  prisoner  at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64,  and  exchanged  from  Anderson- 
ville  in  September;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

MORFORD.  JEROME.  Mt.  Vernon;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  veteran;  mus 
tered  out  with  regiment. 

*MoRRiS,  JAMES  M.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  corporal  at  organi 
zation;  promoted  sergeant;  mortally  wounded  at  Shiloh. 

MOSHER,  TIMOTHY.  Mt.  Vernon;  enlisted  Oct.  20/61;  captured  at  Shi 
loh,  exchanged,  went  home,  and  never  rejoined  regiment. 

*MOUNT,  WILLIAM.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  veteran;  wounded 
slightly  at  Atlanta,  July  22,  '64;  killed  near  Atlanta,  Aug.  4,  '64. 

MURRAY,  SIDNEY  S.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  mustered  out  Oct. 
31.  '64- 

NELSON,  WILLIAM  H.  Saluda;  Oct.  22/61;  discharged  for  disability 
June  2,  '62. 

NEWKIRK,  ABSALOM  W.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  23,  '61;  discharged  for 
disability  April  i,  '62;  re-enlisted  at  Sparta,  Jan.  26,  '65;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

*PATTERSON,  W.  H.  Logantown;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  promoted  cor 
poral;  killed  at  Shiloh. 

POINTER,  JAMES  T.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal; 
veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 


APPENDIX. 

RAYMOND,  T.  L.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  23/61;  promoted  corporal- 
transferred  to  V.  R.  C.,  May  i,  '64. 

*RECKNER,  DANIEL.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  captured  at  Shiloh 
and  died  a  prisoner  at  Huntsville,  Ala. 

RHODECKER,  GEORGE  W.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  mustered 
out  Oct.  31,  '64. 

RICHEY,  S.  H.  Abingdon;  Enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  discharged  on  account 
of  age,  Nov.  3/61. 

RICKMAN,  M.  B.  Henderson;  enlisted  Oct.  17,  '61 ;  transferred  Jan.  4,  '62, 
to  I. 

ROBINSON,  JAMES.  Berwick;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  discharged  for  disa 
bility  April  i,  '62. 

*ROBINSON,  SAMUEL.  Galesburg;  enlisted  Oct.  30,  '61 ;  mortally  wounded 
at  Shiloh. 

*RoE,  MASON  H.  Abingdon;  enlisted  April  25,  '61,  in  First  Cavalry,  and 
captured  at  Lexington,  Mo.;  discharged  Oct.  9,  '61,  and  enlisted  in  K, 
Oct.  22,  '61 ;  wounded  at  Shiloh,  and  died  at  home  of  wound  May  8,  '62. 

ROMESBURG,  DAVID.  Sparta;  recruit;  enlisted  Jan.  26/65;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

*RousE,  THOMAS  S.  Trivoli;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  promoted  corporal 
March  1/62;  sergeant,  July  1/62;  wounded  at  Shiloh;  veteran;  died 
in  hospital  at  Devall's  Bluff,  Ark.,  July  25,  '65. 

SHOOP,  THOMAS  T.  Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
discharged  for  disability  Jan.  28,  '63. 

SIMMONS,  EDWARD.  Trivoli;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  wounded  at  Shiloh; 
veteran;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

SMITH,  A.  C.    Substitute  recruit;  enlisted  Sept.  28,  '64;  mustered  out  June 

II,  '65. 

SMITH,  HENRY  A.    Cleaveland,  O.;  enlisted  Nov.  14,  '61;   transferred  to 

D  as  first-sergeant,  March  i,  '62.    See  D. 
SMITH,  H.  F.     Elmwood;    enlisted  Nov.  17/61;    deserted  at   Memphis, 

Dec.  20,  '62. 

*SouTH,  ELIJAH.    St.  Augustine;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  killed  at  Shiloh. 
SPENCER,  WILLIAM.    Abingdon;  Enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61 ;  promoted  corporal 

July  1/63;  sergeant,  Jan./64;   veteran;   severely  wounded  at  Kene- 

saw  Mt.,  June  23,  '64;   at  home  sick  at  muster  out  of  regiment. 
SPITZER,  ANDREW.    Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  21/61;  mustered  out  Oct. 

STAGGS,  DAVID  M.    Abingdon;  enlisted  Oct.  23,  '61;  went  home  sick  on 

furlough,  and  never  returned. 
*STILES,  EDGAR  C.    Sparta;  recruit;  enlisted  Jan.  26/65;  died  in  hospital 

at  Jeffersonville,  Ind. 
ISWARTZ,  BENJAMIN  C.   Farmington;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  first-lieutenant 

at  organization;    resigned  March  13/62,  to  become  chaplain  of  4ist 

III.  Infty. 

*TOWNSEND,  JOHN  N.  Abingdon;  enlisted  April  23,  '61,  in  First  Cavalry, 
captured  at  Lexington,  Mp.,  and  discharged;  re-enlisted  in  K,  Oct. 22, 
'61;  promoted  corporal;  died  Jan.  30,  '64. 

VICKERY,  ALBERT.    Elmwood;   enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  mustered  out  Oct. 

3 1, '64. 
WADDELL,  WILLIAM.    Elmwood;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;  discharged  for 

disability  Oct.  18,  '62. 
WALKER,  WILLIAM.    Trivoli;  enlisted  Oct.  22/61;    promoted  corporal; 

wounded  at  Shiloh;  veteran;  wounded  in  assault  upon  Little  Kenesaw 

Mt.,  June  27,  '64;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 
WEEDEN,  WILLIAM.    Sycamore;  musician;  transferred  from  B,  Nov.  7, 

'61;  discharged  for  disability  Oct.  18,  '62. 
WESTFALL,  EBENEZER  P.    Henderson;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  corporal  at 


UNASSIGNED. 


Si? 


Organization;  wounded  at  Shiloh,  and  discharged  for  wound  Oct.  20/62. 
WIDNER,  MATHIAS.    Elmwood;  enlisted  Oct.  22,  '61;  deserter. 
WILLIFORD,  WILLIAM  A.    Abingdon;   enlisted  Oct.  22, '61 ;    discharged 

for  disability  Sept.  4,  '62. 
WOLSTENHOLM,  JOHN.    Farmington;  enlisted  Oct.  22, '61 ;  discharged  for 

disability  Feb.  9,  '63. 


UNASSIGNED. 

The  following  "unassigned  recruits"  are  credited  to  the  Fifty-fifth  in 
the  Adjutant  General's  Report,  enlisted  early  in  1864,  but  never  reached 
the  regiment : 


Baumgarten,  Nicholas      Johnson,  George 


Burger,  Sebastian 
Gitchell,  David 
Gill,  Robert  P. 
Hesbringer,  Michael 


Johnson,  John  D. 
Lidberg,  John  L. 
Lynch,  Pat 
Murray,  Walter 
Parny,  Robert 


Potter,  William 
Quick,  William  L. 
Stanton,  Michael 
Wilson,  Thomas 
Wells,  John 


The  following  were  of  Company  G,  I2yth  111.  Infty.,  transferred  to 
Fifty-fifth  after  the  close  of  the  war : 

First- Sergeant — Charles  R.  Danisson. 

Sergeants — Dow  Shebley,  Matthew  Kuns,  Daniel  Newcomb,  Albert 
M.  Clark. 

Corporal — John  Rapp. 

Privates — Jacob  Baker,  John  Elliott,  John  Fitzgerald,  James  Fitch, 
Hugh  Fagan,  Edward  Grimmeson,  Joseph  Kearney,  James  Harris,  Thos. 
R.  Powers,  William  Toorner,  Robert  S.  Wood. 


APPENDIX. 


SUMMARY. 


Numbered  in  Dec.  1861, 
at  leaving  Camp  Douglas. 

^o 

00 

c 

cu 
C 

CO 

<§ 

1 

CO 

.B 

cu 

vD 

00 

C 

1 

LOSSES   DURING  WAR. 

bfl 

Wounded. 

Captured. 

en 

I 

*O 

CU 

5 

4 

10 

5 
3 

6 

3 
8 
6 
6 

1 

'P 

CJ 

en 

B 

4 
7 
5 

i 

4 

12 

5 

10 

9 
4 

cu 
in 
oj 
cu 

en 

ID 
cu 

Q 

Disch'd  for  disability 

u 

o 

'V 

t 

cu 
in 

H 
i 

0 

o 

2 
I 

5 

2 

5 

o 
C! 
cu 
en 

cu 

^u 

cu 

6 
4 
7 
7 
6 

3 

10 

15 

2 

0 

O 

0 

0 

C 

in 

CJ 

cu 

3 

3 

i 

i 

i 

en 

CJ 
CU 

I 

I 

3 

en 
(-, 

CJ 

CU 

I 
I 

I 
9 

2 

8 
i 
i 
i 
6 

2 

CJ 

I 

4 

3 

I 

3 

0 
10 

16 
18 

5 
8 

10 

8 
8 
14 
8 

Field  and  Staff.. 
Company  A  
B 

ii 

100 

95 
95 
99 
87 

89 
86 

98 

4 
29 

41 

42 
24 

22 

43 

22 
38 
42 
36 

8 
3 
4 
9 

5 

2 

3 
3 
ii 

7 

10 

15 

13 

7 
16 

14 

10 

4 
ii 

12 
12 
20 

16 
15 

20 

7 

10 

15 

26 

C  

D  
E  

F  

G  
H  
I  .    . 

K  

968     9     5    33^2  ^105    343    55    55    61  112  153     19   63 

1,027  448 

Original  organization,  Oct.  31,  1861: 

Commissioned 38 

Enlisted 911 

Band 20 

-  969 

Joined  subsequently 121 

1,090 

Temporarily  assigned  from  i  i6th  111.  Infty.,  June,  1865 45 

12/th  111.  Infty.,     "        "     40 

Recruits  unassigned,  never  joined 16 


Total  number  commissioned  in  regiment 94 

Miles  marched  by  regiment 3,240 

Miles  moved  by  boat 5>85° 

Miles  moved  by  railway 2,875 


1,191 


11,965 


CASUALTIES    OF    BATTLE. 


519 


BATTLE   CASUALTIES   IN    FIFTY-FIFTH   ILL.  INFTY.   DURING 
THE   CIVIL   WAR. 


NAME   AND   DATE   OF   ACTION. 

KILLED. 

WOUNDED. 

|  Captured. 

1 

bJO 
<L> 
IH 

bX) 

1 
278 

8 

2 

6 
3 
24 
19 
4 
3 
3 
3 
4 
47 
33 
17 
7 
8 

12 

7 

10 

499 
4 

503 

Officers. 

Enlisted  Men. 

3 
& 

09 

|H 

0 
U 

£ 

C 

8 

I 
I 

I 

I 

I 

3 
i 

2 
19 

Enlisted  Men. 

'rt 

£ 

202 

7 

2 

4 
3 
16 

14 
3 

2 

3 
3 
32 
13 

12 

3 
5 

10 

5 
4 

343 

Shiloh,  Pittsburg  Landing,  Tenn.,  April  6-7,  1862. 
Russell's  House,  Miss  ,  May  17   1862         

I 

I 
I 

2 
I 

I 

7 

46 
I 

I 

7 
5 
i 
i 
i 

i 

13 
4 
5 
3 
3 

2 
2 
I 
I 

98 

*47 

i 

2 

8 

5 

i 

i 

i 
15 
5 
5 
4 
3 

2 
2 
I 
I 

105 

194 

7 
i 

3 
3 
15 
13 
3 
i 

3 
3 
29 

13 
ii 

3 
5 

10 

5 

2 
324 

29 

2 

15 

5 

5i 
4 

55 

Shelby  Depot  Tenn    Oct  23   1862 

Chickasaw  Bayou,  Miss.,  Dec  28,  1862       

Arkansas  Post,  Ark.,  Jan.  10,  1863  

Vicksburg,  Miss.,  assault,  May  19,  1863     

May  22      " 

"               "        siege,  June-July,    "    

Jackson,  Miss.,  siege,  July  10—15,  1863 

Amsterdam  Ford,  Black  River,  Miss.,  Aug.  14,  1863 
Mission  Ridge,  Tenn.,  Dec.  24-25,  1863 

Kenesaw  Mt.,  Ga.,  June  19-23,  1864  
Little  Kenesaw  Mt.,  Ga.,  assault,  June  27,  1864.  .  . 
Atlanta,  Ga.,  July  22,  1864 

Ezra  Church,  Ga.,  July  28,  1864  

Advancing  line,  Atlanta,  Aug.  3-4,  1864  

Atlanta,  siege  of.     August,  1864  

Jonesborough,  Ga.,  Aug.  31,  1864 

"      Sept.  i,  1864  

Bentonville,  N.  C.,  March  19-21,  1865 

Near  Goldsborough  March  27  1865 

Totals  .  . 

Teamsters  captured  away  from  regiment  

*  In  the  Official  Records  of  the  Rebellion,  Vol.  X,  four  of  the  mortally 
wounded  are  classed  as  killed, —  making  the  total  51.  Several  of  the 
wounded  lived  but  a  few  hours,  or  days.  Of  the  55  captured  seven,  at  least, 
were  wounded  when  taken,  and  they  are  included  in  the  column  of  wounded; 
ten  died  in  rebel  prisons  and  two  others  were  never  heard  from. 


o  Q 


n 


\ 


/ 


\4 


